Measurements and Utilization of Consistent Gibbs Energies of Transfer of Single Ions: Towards a Unified Redox Potential Scale for All Solvents.

Utilizing the "ideal" ionic liquid salt bridge to measure Gibbs energies of transfer of silver ions between the solvents water, acetonitrile, propylene carbonate and dimethylformamide results in a consistent data set with a precision of 0.6 kJ mol-1 over 87 measurements in 10 half-cells. This forms the basis for a coherent experimental thermodynamic framework of ion solvation chemistry. In addition, we define the solvent independent pe abs H 2 O - and the E abs H 2 O values that account for the electronating potential of any redox system similar to the pH abs H 2 O value of a medium that accounts for its protonating potential. This E abs H 2 O scale is thermodynamically well-defined enabling a straightforward comparison of the redox potentials (reducities) of all media with respect to the aqueous redox potential scale, hence unifying all conventional solvents' redox potential scales. Thus, using the Gibbs energy of transfer of the silver ion published herein, one can convert and unify all hitherto published redox potentials measured, for example, against ferrocene, to the E abs H 2 O scale.

An Investigation of the Symmetric and Asymmetric Cleavage Products in the System Aluminum Trihalide/1-Butylimidazole.

Mixtures of AlX3 (X=Cl, Br) with 1-butylimidazole (BuIm) in various ratios were investigated. The mixtures were characterized by multinuclear (1 H, 27 Al, 13 C, and 15 N) NMR, IR, and Raman spectroscopy and in part by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Depending on the molar fraction x(AlBr3 ) of the AlBr3 -based mixtures, the cationic aluminum complexes [Al(BuIm)6 ]3+ and [AlBr2 (BuIm)4 ]+ , the neutral adduct [AlBr3 (BuIm)], as well as the anions Br- , [AlBr4 ]- , and [Al2 Br7 ]- could be identified as the products of the symmetric and asymmetric cleavage of dimeric Al2 Br6 . Furthermore, there are hints at the formation of [AlBr2 (BuIm)2 ]+ or related cations. Comparison of the AlBr3 /BuIm system with AlCl3 -based mixtures revealed the influence of the halide: In contrast to AlBr3 , the trication [Al(BuIm)6 ]3+ could not be detected as main product in a 1:6 mixture of AlCl3 and BuIm. Additionally, [AlCl3 (BuIm)] crystallizes from a mixture with x(AlCl3 )=0.60 at room temperature, whereas the corresponding AlBr3 -based mixture remains liquid even at +6 °C. Three AlBr3 -based mixtures are liquid at room temperature, whereas all other mixtures are solids with melting points between 46 and 184 °C. The three liquid mixtures exhibit medium to high viscosities (117 to >1440 mPa s), low conductivities (0.03-0.20 mS cm-1 ), but high densities (1.80-2.21 g cm-3 ). Aluminum could be successfully deposited from one of the neat Lewis acidic mixtures of the AlBr3 -based system.