The effect of carboxylate anions on the formation of clathrate hydrates of tetrabutylammcnium carboxylates

Abstract

The solid-liquid phase diagrams of binary mixtures of water with tetrabutylammonium carboxylate having an unsaturated alkyl group in the carboxylate anion ((n-C₄H₉)₄NOOCR; R=C₂H₃−C₉H₁₇) were examined in order to confirm the formation of clathrate-like hydrates. The results are summarized as follows: (1) the formation of a clathrate-like hydrate is newly confirmed for all the 13 carboxylates examined; (2) these hydrates are classified into three groups I, II, and III on the basis of the hydration numbers; (3) the group I hydrates, which are formed by the carboxylates with R=C₂ and R=C₃, have hydration numbers around 30 and are the most stable hydrates among those examined in this study; (4) the group II hydrates, with hydration numbers around 39, are formed by all the carboxylates with R=C₄ and C₅ including sorbate and are less stable than the group I hydrates; (5) the group III hydrates, with hydration numbers around 30 like the group I hydrates, are formed by carboxylates with long alkyl chains such as 2-octenoate and 2-decenoate and are generally unstable.