Probing for an Onset (vs ΔpKa) for Free Protonated Amines in Acid + Amine Protic Pseudoionic Liquids

Monday, 10 October 2022: 11:40
Room 303 (The Hilton Atlanta)
A. L. L. East (University of Regina)
In mixtures of amines with carboxylic acids, the limited ionicity at 1:1 stoichiometric mixtures is due to insufficient ionization and/or ion pairing in low-dielectric environments. Higher conductivities have historically been seen at 5:1 acid:base mixing ratios, where simulations have revealed large (and thus more stable) ions: homoassociated anions (AH)2A(HA)3 and cationic triple ions B+(AH)A (HA)2B+. Recent work in understanding the Gibbs energies for degree-of-ionization equilibria hints that there may be an onset, for systems with an acid-base pKa difference increasing towards 10, for the formation of free (unpaired) protonate-amine ions BH+. The speed (gradual? sudden?) of such an onset with increasing ΔpKa is explored in this work, with the aim of better understanding the limited ionicity phenomenon in protic ionic liquids.