The solvent dependence of ionic properties in solution in the limit of infinite dilution

Abstract

The dependence of the Gibbs solvation energy and limiting ionic conductance for simple ions on the solvent nature is discussed for a collection of data in 18 polar solvents both protic and aprotic. It is shown that the Gibbs solvation energy depends on the acidity and basicity of the solvent, concepts based on a detailed quantum mechanical description of the solvent molecule and its interaction with ions in its vicinity. On the other hand, ionic mobility, after correction for solvent viscosity, depends on the size of the surrounding molecules, and to a lesser extent on their acid-base properties.