Acid-base concepts strength

The strength of the complexation is a function of both the donor atom and the metal ion. The solvent medium is also an important factor because solvent molecules that are potential electron donors can compete for the Lewis acid. Qualitative predictions about the strength of donor-acceptor complexation can be made on the basis of the hard-soft-acid-base concept (see Section 1.2.3). The better matched the donor and acceptor, the stronger is the complexation. Scheme 4.3 gives an ordering of hardness and softness for some neutral and ionic Lewis acids and bases. 

We see in Table 11-IV that the equilibrium view of acid strengths suggests that we regard water itself as a weak acid. It can release hydrogen ions and the extent to which it does so is indicated in its equilibrium constant, just as for the other acids. We shall see that this type of comparison, stimulated by our equilibrium considerations, leads us to a valuable generalization of the acid-base concept. 

Chapter 9 Acid-Bose Chemistry 318 Acid-Base Concepts 318 Measures of Acid-Base Strength 330 Hard and Soft Acids and Bases 344... 

The acid-base concepts described in this section focus on bases that react with protons, the classical Br0nsted-Lowry definition of a base. There are other types of electron deficient molecules that function as acids, called Lewis acids. The following section will discuss the relative strength of Lewis acids. 

A tentative explanation of the effect of solvent has been proposed recently by using the Lewis acid-base concept. The acid or basic character of a given solvent was studied simultaneous with its strength of complexation in order to establish a relationship between both parameters. 

The active site is viewed as an acid-base, cation-anion pair, hence, the basicity of the catalyst depends not only on the proton affinity of the oxide ion but also on the carbanion affinity of the cation. Thus, the acidity of the cation may determine the basicity of the catalyst. Specific interactions, i.e., effects of ion structure on the strength of the interaction, are likely to be evident when the carbanions differ radically in structure when this is likely the concept of catalyst basicity should be used with caution. 

Manson (72,) expanded the concept to the solid state by observing that the strength of composite materials also depended upon the acid-base interaction between continuous and dispersed phases. More directly, Vanderhoff et al. (21) addressed the issue of adhesion of polymeric materials to corroded steel. They synthesized eight corrosion products of iron, and used the interaction scheme developed by Fowkes and Manson first to characterize the iron corrosion products as Lewis acids or bases and then to select polymer vehicles for practical coating systems. Such results were employed to enhance the adhesion of epoxy systems to substrates which were predominantly iron oxide in nature. A good overview of these Issues was presented by Fowkes in 1983 (74). ... 

Next, a quantitative model, referred to as the E and C equation, is presented for predicting and correlating the enthalpies of adduct formation. The use of this equation and the interpretation of the parameters which result is discussed. Exceptions to the correlation are considered and the valuable insight about intermolecular interactions that can be gained by firmly establishing these exceptions is demonstrated. The parameters we obtain and valid transformations of these parameters are considered in the light of both the HSAB model and Donor Strength model of acid-base chemistry. Both of these concepts are shown to be at best incomplete models of coordination. The relationship between our parameters and the a—q Hammett parameters is quantitatively demonstrated. 

The ability to make good estimates of acid-base equilibrium constants is an invaluable aid in thinking about organic reactions and processes. Moreover, experimental workup procedures often require pH control that can be easily understood on the basis of pKa considerations. Thus the concept of acid strength is exceedingly important and should be mastered. 

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