Electrochemical polarization phenomena at the interface of two immiscible electrolyte solutions—II. Progress since 1978

Versatile Tools for Understanding Electrosynthetic Mechanisms

Electrosynthesis is a popular, green alternative to traditional organic methods. Understanding the mechanisms is not trivial yet is necessary to optimize reaction processes. To this end, a multitude of analytical tools is available to identify and quantitate reaction products and intermediates. The first portion of this review serves as a guide that underscores electrosynthesis fundamentals, including instrumentation, electrode selection, impacts of electrolyte and solvent, cell configuration, and methods of electrosynthesis. Next, the broad base of analytical techniques that aid in mechanism elucidation are covered in detail. These methods are divided into electrochemical, spectroscopic, chromatographic, microscopic, and computational. Technique selection is dependent on predicted reaction pathways and electrogenerated intermediates. Often, a combination of techniques must be utilized to ensure accuracy of the proposed model. To conclude, future prospects that aim to enhance the field are discussed.

Janus-Type Gold/Polythiophene Composites Formed via Redox Reaction at the Ionic Liquid|Water Interface

Janus-type Au/polythiophene (PT) composites have been prepared by utilizing the liquid/liquid interface between water (W) and a hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL) as the redox reaction site. AuCl₄^- is reductively deposited, and terthiophene is oxidatively polymerized spacio-selectively at the IL|W interface, leading to the formation of the Au/PT composites. The composites are Janus-type Au-attached PT plates with two surface morphologies, flat surface and flowerlike surface at the W and IL sides of the plates at the IL|W interface, respectively. Not only surface morphologies but also attached Au structures are different at the two surfaces; Au microurchins on the flat surface and dendritic Au nanofibers on the flowerlike surface. Optical and scanning electron microscopic observations have revealed that nanofibers and microurchins are formed at the early and later stage of the reaction, respectively. Electrochemistry at the IL|W interface has illustrated that electron transfer across the IL|W interface during the formation of the Janus-type Au/PT composites is coupled with ion transfer of AuCl₄^- to compensate for the charge unbalance in the two liquid phases. AuCl₄^- transferred into IL is found to be the source of the dendritic Au nanofibers formed at the IL side of the PT plates.

Electric Double Layer Composed of an Antagonistic Salt in an Aqueous Mixture: Local Charge Separation and Surface Phase Transition

We examine an electric double layer containing an antagonistic salt in an aqueous mixture, where the cations are small and hydrophilic but the anions are large and hydrophobic. In this situation, a strong coupling arises between the charge density and the solvent composition. As a result, the anions are trapped in an oil-rich adsorption layer on a hydrophobic wall. We then vary the surface charge density σ on the wall. For σ>0 the anions remain accumulated, but for σ<0 the cations are attracted to the wall with increasing |σ|. Furthermore, the electric potential drop Ψ(σ) is nonmonotonic when the solvent interaction parameter χ(T) exceeds a critical value χ_{c} determined by the composition and the ion density in the bulk. This leads to a first-order phase transition between two kinds of electric double layers with different σ and common Ψ. In equilibrium such two-layer regions can coexist. The steric effect due to finite ion sizes is crucial in these phenomena.

Prediction of the Standard Gibbs Energy of Transfer of Organic Ions Across the Interface between Two Immiscible Liquids

The non-Bornian solvation model was applied for evaluation of the standard Gibbs energy (ΔGtr°,W→O) of transfer of organic ions from water (W) to organic solvent (O = nitrobenzene). The solvation energy of an ion in either W or O is basically formulated as the energy required for the formation of a nanosized ion–solvent interface around the ion; however, many organic ions with strongly charged groups (e.g., -SO3-, -CO2-, -NH3+) are preferentially hydrated in O. Here we divided the surface of an ion into “hydrated” and “non-hydrated” surfaces and then carried out regression analyses with experimental values of ΔGtr°,W→O. In the analyses, the local electric field on the surface of an organic ion was evaluated through density functional theory calculation. Good regression results were then obtained with the mean absolute error of 1.9 and 2.4 kJ mol-1 for 34 anions and 63 cations, respectively. These errors correspond to the error of ∼20 mV in the standard ion-transfer potential (ΔOWϕ°), being only two times larger than the typical experimental error (∼10 mV) in the voltammetric measurement. This non-Bornian model is promising for theoretical prediction of ΔGtr°,W→O (or ΔOWϕ°) for organic ions and possibly of the biomembrane permeability for ionic drugs.

Coextraction of water into nitrobenzene with organic ions

Various organic anions (sulfonates (RSO3(-)), carboxylates (RCO2(-)), and phenolates (RO(-))) and ammonium cations (RNH3(+), R2NH2(+), and R3NH(+)) were distributed in the nitrobenzene (NB)-water system by using Crystal Violet and dipicrylaminate, respectively. The number of water molecules (n) being coextracted into NB with an ion was then determined by the Karl Fischer method. The n values determined and those reported previously showed the variation from 0.51 to 3.4, depending on not only the charged groups but also the noncharged R-groups. In this study, we focused our attention to the strong electric field on the charged group and its facilitation effect for binding water molecules in NB. The local electric field (Ei) on the surface of an organic ion was evaluated by using Gaussian09 program with a subprogram developed in our recent study. It was found that the n values showed a clear dependence on the average value of Ei on oxygen or hydrogen atoms, respectively, of an anionic or cationic group.

Simple Ion Transfer at Liquid|Liquid Interfaces

The main aspects related to the charge transfer reactions occurring at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) are described. The particular topics to be discussed involve simple ion transfer. Focus is given on theoretical approaches, numerical simulations, and experimental methodologies. Concerning the theoretical procedures, different computational simulations related to simple ion transfer are reviewed. The main conclusions drawn from the most accepted models are described and analyzed in regard to their relevance for explaining different aspects of ion transfer. We describe numerical simulations implementing different approaches for solving the differential equations associated with the mass transport and charge transfer. These numerical simulations are correlated with selected experimental results; their usefulness in designing new experiments is summarized. Finally, many practical applications can be envisaged regarding the determination of physicochemical properties, electroanalysis, drug lipophilicity, and phase-transfer catalysis.

Individual Extraction Constants of Some Univalent Organic Cations in the Two-Phase Water–Phenyltrifluoromethyl Sulfone System

From extraction experiments and γ-activity measurements, the extraction constants corresponding to the general equilibrium C+(aq) + I−(aq) ⇔ C+(org) + I−(org) taking place in the two-phase water–phenyltrifluoromethyl sulfone (abbrev. FS 13) system (C+ = organic cation; aq = aqueous phase, org = FS 13 phase) were evaluated. Furthermore, the individual extraction constants of 8 univalent organic cations in the mentioned two-phase system were calculated.

Interfacial transfer of Cd2+ assisted by 4′ — morpholino-acetophenone-4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone across the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface

The assisted transfer of heavy metal ions by interfacial complexation with 4′-morpholinoacetophenone-4-phenyl-3-thiosemicarbazone (MAPPT) at the interface between two immiscible electrolyte solutions (ITIES) was studied by cyclic voltammetry. The voltammograms obtained across the water/1,2-dichloroethane interface using the MAPPT ligand in the organic phase shows that the assisted metal ion transfers have different nature for different ions. The quasi-reversible voltammetric peak of the Cd2+ ion was obtained and is discussed in detail. The dependence of the half-wave transfer potential on MAPPT concentration showed that the equilibrium is effectively displaced towards a 1:3 (metal:ligand) stoichiometry with an association constant of log β o =15.46 (±0.11) for the Cd2+ ion, corresponding to the TIC/TID mechanism.

Ginzburg-Landau theory of solvation in polar fluids: Ion distribution around an interface

We present a Ginzburg-Landau theory of solvation of ions in polar binary mixtures. The solvation free energy arising from the ion-dipole interaction can strongly depend on the composition and the ion species. Most crucial in phase separation is then the difference in the solvation free energy between the two phases, which is the origin of the Galvani potential difference known in electrochemistry. We also take into account an image potential acting on each ion, which arises from inhomogeneity in the dielectric constant and is important close to an interface at very small ion densities. Including these solvation and image interactions, we calculate the ion distributions and the electric potential around an interface with finite thickness. In particular, on approaching the critical point, the ion density difference between the two phases becomes milder. The critical temperature itself is much shifted even by a small amount of ions. We examine the surface tension in the presence of ions in various cases.

Voltammetry of Ion Transfer across the Electrochemically Polarized Micro Liquid-Liquid Interface between Water and a Room-temperature Ionic Liquid, Tetrahexylammonium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, Using a Glass Capillary Micropipette

Ion transfer across the polarized interface between a room-temperature ionic liquid (RTIL) or room-temperature molten salt, tetrahexylammonium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide (THAC(1)C(1)N), and water has been studied voltammetrically using a micro liquid-liquid interface formed at the orifice of a glass capillary micropipette. A small current of nanoampere level circumvents the problem of the iR drop in the viscous ionic liquid phase. Voltammograms for the transfer of moderately hydrophilic ions, such as BF(4)(-) and ClO(4)(-), from the aqueous phase in the capillary to the bulk of THAC(1)C(1)N in which the capillary is submerged, show steady-state characteristics in that the current does not depend on the scan rate up to a few hundred millivolt per second, and the plateau in the limiting current region is proportional to the bulk concentration of analyte ions. Owing to the steady-state current, which is presumably ascribed to a noncylindrical geometry of the capillary tip, the relative magnitude of the hydrophobicity, or the affnity to the RTIL, of a series of ions can be determined from the half-wave potentials of voltammograms.

Ultraviolet laser photo-modulation voltammetry of tetraphenylborate at a liquid/liquid interface

Photo-modulation voltammetry was applied to detecting the photolysis of tetraphenylborate (TPhB) at a water/1,2-dichloroethane (DCE) interface by using a He-Cd laser emitting a beam with a major 325-nm line and minor lines of shorter wavelengths. When the interface was irradiated from the water-phase side, a new wave appeared in the photomodulation voltammogram, suggesting that TPhB was photolyzed and the anionic product was transferred across the interface. The concentration dependence of the photocurrents was successfully explained by a theory based on the photolytic process at the interface.

Extraction Distribution of Bromophenol Blue and Bromocresol Green in the Two-Phase Water-1,2-Dichloroethane System

The equilibrium distribution constants of electroneutral bromophenol blue and bromocresol green between the 1,2-dichloroethane and aqueous phases were determined from extraction measurements. By using known thermodynamic parameters and applying general relations, the dissociation constants of these two organic dyes in 1,2-dichloroethane saturated with water were calculated.

Chemical oscillation with periodic adsorption and desorption of surfactant ions at a water/nitrobenzene interface

Chemical oscillations with periodic adsorption and desorption of surfactant ions, alkyl sulfate ions, at a water/nitrobenzene interface have been investigated. The interfacial tension was measured with a quasi elastic laser scattering (QELS) method and the interfacial electrical potential was obtained. We found that this oscillation consists of a series of abrupt adsorptions of ions, followed by a gradual desorption. In addition, we observed that each abrupt adsorption was always accompanied by a small waving motion of the liquid interface. From the analysis of the video images of the liquid interface or bulk phase, we could conclude that each abrupt adsorption is caused by nonlinear amplification of mass transfer of ions from the bulk phase to the liquid interface by a Marangoni convection, which was generated due to local adsorption of the surfactant ions at the liquid interface that resulted in the heterogeneity of the interfacial tension. In the present paper, we describe the mechanism of the chemical oscillation in terms of the hydrodynamic effect on the ion adsorption processes, and we also show the interfacial chemical reaction with ion exchange during the ion desorption process.