Thermodynamics of the amalgam cells {M-Amalgam|MCl or MCl2 (m)|AgCl|Ag} (M=Rb,Cs, Sr,Ba) and primary medium effects in (acetonitrile + water)

The potential difference E of the amalgam cell {M_xHg_1 − x|MCl or MCl₂ (m)| AgCl |Ag} (M=Rb, Cs, Sr, Ba) has been measured as a function of the mole fraction x_M of M metal in amalgams and of the molality m of MCl (or MCl₂) in (acetonitrile A] + water W]) solvent mixtures containing up to acetonitrile mass fraction w_A=0.50, at T=298.15 K. The respective molal-scale standard potential differences E^∘_m have been determined together with the relevant activity coefficients γ_± functions of the MCl (or MCl₂) molality. The E^∘_m dependence on the mole fraction x_A of acetonitrile in the solvent mixture within the range explored turns out to be linear for all the four metals M in the amalgams considered. Of course, also the difference (E^∘_m]_W−E^∘_m]_A), which is a measure of the primary medium effect upon transferring MCl (or MCl₂) from pure water W] to the acetonitrile A] mixture, is linear in x_A.In this context, following Feakins and French's scheme, which implies volume fraction statistics, analysis of the relevant mol · dm⁻³ scale primary medium effects, i.e., (E^∘_c]_W−E^∘_c]_A), upon MCl (or MCl₂), as a linear function of the logarithm of water volume fraction, would lead to primary hydration numbers of 4.2 for RbCl, 4.0 for CsCl, 10.7 for SrCl₂, and 10.3 for BaCl₂, respectively, in acceptable agreement with literature data by Bockris based on different methods.