The solubility of gases and vapours in ethanol - the connection between gaseous solubility and water-solvent partition

Abstract

Ostwald solubility coefficients, as log L, for solutes in water and ethanol have been combined to give log PEtOH for partition between the two pure solvents. Sixty-four such values have been correlated through our solvation equation, the coefficients of which lead to the conclusion that ethanol and water solvents are equally strong hydrogen-bond bases, but that ethanol is much weaker as a hydrogen-bond acid. A slightly different solvation equation has been used to correlate 68 values of log LEtOH; the coefficients in this equation yield the same conclusions as to the hydrogen-bond acidity and basicity of bulk ethanol. In addition, an analysis of the various terms in the log LEtOH correlation equation allows the elucidation of the various chemical factors that govern the solubility of gaseous solutes in ethanol solvent at 298 K.Key words: solubility, partition, hydrogen-bonding, ethanol, water.