HYDRATION OF ALKALI-METAL CATIONS AND PROTONS IN POLAR ORGANIC-SOLVENTS

The hydration of alkali metal cations and H3O+ in nitrobenzene, nitromethane and 2,2′ dichlorodiethylether has been studied at various temperatures and aqueous phase compositions using polyhedral hydroborate-[(1,2-B9C2H11)2Co]--anions as counterions for the extraction. For nitrobenzene the resulting typical organic phase hydration numbers (hi) are: Li+(6.5), H3O+(4.5), Na+(3.9), K+(1.5), Rb+(0.8), Cs+(0.5) and Et4N+(0.0). The 1H-NMR shifts and conductivities of nitrobenzene extracts indicate full dissociation of the salts in the nitrobenzene phase. The correlation of extraction selectivity and hi values is discussed. © 1979.