Molecular concept supercritical fluid

Substantial evidence suggests that in highly asymmetric supercritical mixtures the local and bulk environment of a solute molecule differ appreciably. The concept of a local density enhancement around a solute molecule is supported by spectroscopic, theoretical, and computational investigations of intermolecular interactions in supercritical solutions. Here we make for the first time direct comparison between local density enhancements determined for the system pyrene in CO2 by two very different methods-fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular dynamics simulation. The qualitative agreement is quite satisfactory, and the results show great promise for an improved understanding at a molecular level of supercritical fluid solutions. [Pg.64]

The Molecular Concept of Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Metals... [Pg.24]

On the topics of solute-solvent and solute-solute clustering, there is a significant number of publications by research groups from around the world, demonstrating the tremendous interest of the international research community. This chapter is a review of representative literature results, especially those based on molecular spectroscopy and related experimental techniques. Discussion of the fundamental properties of supercritical fluids will be within the context of enhanced solute-solvent and solute-solute interactions in supercritical fluid solutions, and the current understanding of the reasonably well-established solute-solvent clustering model and the somewhat controversial solute-solute clustering concept will be presented. [Pg.12]

Numerous experimental studies have been conducted on solute-solvent interactions in supercritical fluid solutions. In particular, issues such as the role of characteristic supercritical solvent properties in solvation and the dependence of solute-solvent interactions on the bulk supercritical solvent density have been extensively investigated. Results from earlier experiments showed that the partial molar volumes 02 became very large and negative near the critical point of the solvent (4-12). The results were interpreted in terms of a collapse of the solvent about the solute under near-critical solvent conditions, which served as a precursor for the solute-solvent clustering concept. Molecular spectroscopic techniques, especially ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) absorption and fluorescence emission, have since been applied to the investigation of solute-solvent interactions in supercritical fluid solutions. Widely used solvent environment-sensitive molecular probes include Kamlet-Taft jt scale probes for polarity/polarizability... [Pg.12]