abstract
Water solubility enhancement is a long-standing challenge in a multitude of chemistry-related fields. Hydrotropy is a simple and efficient method to improve the solubility of hydrophobic molecules in aqueous media. However, the mechanism behind this phenomenon remains controversial. Herein the impact of salt doping on the hydrotropy phenomenon is determined experimentally using the ionic liquid (IL) 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C(4)mim]Cl) as a hydrotope and vanillin as a solute. Hydrophobic interactions were found to be central to the aggregation of the hydrotrope around the solute, and seem to drive hydrotropy. Furthermore, H-1-NMR analysis indicates that hydrotrope-solute interactions present a degree of site-specificity. The addition of chloride salts in the presence of higher IL concentrations promotes a greater relative decrease of the vanillin solubility than in the corresponding system without the IL. This was assigned to the negative impact of increased hydrotrope pre-aggregation in the presence of inorganic salts. The results were rationalised using statistical thermodynamics through which hydrotrope aggregation prior to solute addition is shown to be detrimental to the hydrotropic effect, seemingly confirming solute-induced clustering of the hydrotrope to be the predominant mechanism of hydrotropy.
keywords
IONIC LIQUIDS; SETSCHENOW CONSTANTS; DRUG SOLUBILIZATION; HOFMEISTER SERIES; AQUEOUS-SOLUTIONS; BEHAVIOR; WATER; THERMODYNAMICS; TEMPERATURES; SOLUBILITIES
subject category
Chemistry; Physics
authors
Martins, AC; Benfica, J; Perez-Sanchez, G; Shimizu, S; Sintra, TE; Schaeffer, N; Coutinho, JAP
our authors
Germán Pérez-Sánchez
Junior Researcher
Jordana Benfica
Collaborator
Nicolas Schaeffer
Assistant Researcher
Tânia Ereira Sintra
Post-Doc FellowshipGroups
G4 - Renewable Materials and Circular Economy
G6 - Virtual Materials and Artificial Intelligence
Projects
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDB/50011/2020)
CICECO - Aveiro Institute of Materials (UIDP/50011/2020)
Associated Laboratory CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials (LA/P/0006/2020)
PTNMR - Portuguese Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Network (REDE/1517/RMN/2005)
acknowledgements
This work was developed within the scope of the project CICECO-Aveiro Institute of Materials, UIDB/50011/2020, UIDP/50011/2020 & LA/P/0006/2020, financed by national funds through the FCT/MEC (PIDDAC). NMR analysis was made possible through the National NMR Network, funded within the framework of the National Program for Scientific Re-equipment, contract REDE/1517/RMN/2005 with funds from POCI 2010 (FEDER) and FCT. N. Schaeffer and G. Perez-Sanchez acknowledges the national funds (OE), through FCT (FundacAo para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia), I. P., in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5 and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, of August 29, changed by Law 57/2017, of July 19. J. B. S. acknowledges FCT for her PhD grant 2020.05802.BD.