Ion-pair Extraction as a Tool for the Study of Mechanisms of Reactions Related to Phase Transfer Catalysis

From distribution measurements using dilute solutions both the extraction equilibrium constant and the dissociation constant for the ion pair are obtained. The free energy of transfer of the two ions are also obtained from the same experiment. From these constants and distribution measurements in solutions, more concentrated than those above, the degree of dissociation in the organic layer is obtained without any use of the activity constant in the actual solution. From still more concentrated solutions constants can be obtained for the formation of adducts and triple ions in the organic layers and the formation of ion pairs in the aqueous layer. A knowledge of all these equilibrium constants is necessary for the interpretation of results obtained from kinetic measurements in two layer systems such as phase transfer catalysis.