Mechanism of hydrostimulated displacement of aromatic compounds from cellulose triacetate films

Abstract

The effect of temperature on the rate of desorption into water of naphthalene, diphenyl, benzophenone, para-terphenyl, α-naphthol, stilbene, anthracene, and dibutyl phthalate introduced into cellulose triacetate films was studied. It was shown that in water, the removal rate of these compounds from the films increases sharply as compared to desorption into air. The relation between the activation energies and pre-exponential factors characterizing the desorption rate was found in the form of a compensatory effect. The nature of the compensatory effect is explained by osmotic phenomena due to hydrophobic hydration of the polymer. We conclude that mobile polymeric chains of non-crystalline polymer are structured around water and Ar-compound molecules as sponge-like structures forming fringed nanoporous capsules. The simultaneous presence of molecules of different compounds in the polymer was found to cause osmotic competition for a place in the sponge; water absorbed by the chain sponge enhances the volume pulsations of nanocapsules. It was revealed that diffusion occurs because of thermal fluctuations inducing the reorganization of nanoporous capsules and their movement together with Ar-molecules in the matrix by the principle of peristalsis.