Studies on the iodide–triiodide equilibrium

Abstract

The solvent effect on the iodide–triiodide equilibrium has been investigated by means of calorimetric and potentiometric measurements. The aprotic solvents studied were nitromethane, nitrobenzene, sulfolane, acetonitrile, propylene carbonate, acetophenone, dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, and o-dichlorobenzene. The resulting enthalpy and free energy changes imply that the variations of the enthalpies and free energies of transfer of the iodide and triiodide ions probably are small and that there is an important non-coulombic contribution to these transfer parameters. Values were obtained for the enthalpy of formation of two solid triiodides, which together with values for other triiodides, cast doubt on reported calculated lattice enthalpies of triiodides and formation enthalpy of I 3 − ion in the gas phase. This latter formation enthalpy is found to be, from our solution data, more negative than −22 kcal mol −1 .