Correlation of distribution of organic solutes in organic solvent - water systems with molecular properties and solution structure parameters

Abstract

A systematic analysis of experimental data on extraction of organic solutes with organic solvents indicates that non-specific intermolecular interactions are better described by pairwise interaction potentials of London- Debye-Keesom than by the Hilderbrand solubility parameter. The results point to significant and universal importance of dispersive, inductive and dipole-dipole interactions between solute and solvent molecules. Deviations in the experimental values for the distribution constants from the corresponding theoretical values, calculated under the assumption that the extracted substance and the extractant form no complexes, allow for estimation of the energy of specific intermolecular interactions. A method, which permits identification of the contributions of non-specific and specific intermolecular interactions between extractant and extracted molecules to the distribution constant, is suggested.