Dielectric relaxation of dilute aqueous NaOH, NaAl(OH)4 and NaB(OH)4

R. Buchner, G.T. Hefter, P.M. May, and P. Sipos

J. Phys. Chem. B 103 (1999) 11186-11190

Abstract

The complex dielectric permittivity of aqueous NaOH (c >= 2M), and of dilute (<= 0.6 M) NaAl(OH)4 and NaB(OH)4 solutions in NaOH ([Na] = 1M) at 25 C has been determined in the frequency range 0.2 <= n/GHz <= 20. All spectra could be represented by a single Cole-Cole relaxation time distribution attributed to the cooperative relaxation of the solvent. The concentration dependence of the effective hydration number of OH- has been determined. For aluminate and borate solutions the deduced parameters, effective conductivity ke, static permittivity e, relaxation time t, and distribution parameter a, suggest a 1:1 replacement of hydroxide by aluminate and borate, accompanied by a release of bound water. The lack of an ion-pair relaxation process despite notable ion association suggests that rapid proton exchange is not only important for the dynamics of OH-, but also for Al(OH)4- and B(OH)4-.

(c) 1999 Herbert Poepke