A potentiometric study of (acid + base) equilibria in substituted 4-nitropyridine N-oxide systems in methanol and dimethyl sulfoxide

Abstract

The acid dissociation constants for cationic acids conjugated with 4-nitropyridine N-oxides have been determined using potentiometric titration method. The measurements in the systems of thirteen 4-nitropyridine N-oxide derivatives were carried out in the polar amphiprotic methanol (MeOH) and in the aprotic protophilic dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). Likewise as in the polar aprotic protophobic solvents (acetonitrile, acetone) it was found that in MeOH for all N-oxides studied the p K a values were readily determinable, whereas in DMSO the p K a values were hardly determinable or indeterminable by using the potentiometric method. In addition, just like in our previous investigations it was revealed that the sequence of the p K a values of the cationic acids in methanol is the same as in the water and the values are lower than those determined in acetonitrile and acetone. Also, it was found that the phenomenon of cationic homoconjugation equilibria was not present in the systems involving 4-nitropyridine N-oxide derivatives in both solvents used. Furthermore, protonation energies, Δ E prot, and Gibbs free enthalpies, Δ G prot, in vacuo have been compared with acid dissociation constants (expressed as p K a MeOH values) of the protonated N-oxides determined by potentiometric titration in methanol to establish a correlation between these magnitudes.