Problem in the molecular area of polar probe molecules used in inverse gas chromatography

Abstract

Although the inverse gas chromatography technique has been used to measure the surface acid-base properties for almost 50 years, several basic problems still hinder its further development and application. One of the problems is that for the polar probe molecules of dichloromethane, acetone, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, and ethanol, the molecular area of each probe has different values in literature. In this paper, we point out the incorrect molecular area values presented in the literature by comparing these values with those indicated in Smallwood's Handbook of Organic Solvent Properties. The correct molecular area values of 11 polar probes are determined by plotting the molecular areas of the polar probes versus the van der Waals surface areas reported in the handbook. The correct molecular areas for six common polar probes, namely, dichloromethane, trichloromethane, acetone, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, and tetrahydrofuran, are 38.0, 44.0, 42.5, 48.0, 47.0, and 45.0 Å2, respectively. Benzene is a specific molecule with a conjugated π-bond structure, and its molecular area is estimated to be larger than that of other molecules. Therefore, benzene is unsuitable for use as a probe molecule.