methylene group
The methylene group can only interact dispersively with other molecules and as the number of methylene groups increase, so the standard energy of distribution increases. Thus, for a given distribution system, the standard energy contribution for each methylene group in a chain is constant. As a consequence, a graph relating the log of the distribution coefficients, the corrected retention volumes or the capacity ratios of an homologous series of solutes, to the number of methylene groups will be a straight line.
Author: RPW Scott
Book:The Thermodynamics of Chromatography
Section:Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
processes that
contribute to retention.
Although the
standard energy of interaction of the methylene group is much greater than that
of the methyl group, the standard enthalpies of both groups are very similar.
However, the entropy term for the methyl group is nearly 150% greater than that
of the methylene group and, as this acts in opposition to the standard enthalpy
contribution, it reduces the free energy associated with the methyl group by
about 30% relative to that of the methylene group. This entropy difference
between the two groups is due to the methylene group being situated in a chain
(more rigidly held) and has, initially, a much lower entropy before
solution in the stationary phase. In contrast, the methyl group, situated at the end of the chain, is much less
restricted and thus, on interaction with the stationary phase molecules (where
it is held more rigidly) the entropy change is much greater. It follows that
the introduction of a methylene group into a solute
Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
Author: RPW Scott
Book:The Thermodynamics of Chromatography
Section:Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
nbsp;
Figure 10.
Graph of Intercept and Slope from [Log(V'r(T))/Number
of CH2 Groups Curves] for a Series of
1-Chlorohydrocarbons 1/T
The difference
between the methyl group, methylene group, and the chlorine atom is quite
striking. The enthalpy and entropy values for the methylene group are again
very close to those obtained from the n-alkane series. As would be
expected, the chlorine atom has both a higher enthalpy term and a higher
entropy term than the methylene group. The high enthalpy contribution probably
arises from its larger mass and size which would be expected to provide
stronger interactions with the stationary phase molecules. Its increased
entropy contribution arises from it being a terminal atom as opposed to a group, consequently, prior to interaction
with the stationary phase, it has much greater freedom.
Th 
e contribution
of the methylene group and the chlorine atom can be calculated from the
enthalpy and entropy
Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
Author: RPW Scott
Book:The Thermodynamics of Chromatography
Section:Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
series using the data obtained from the stationary phase n-heptadecane.
As a result, it will be possible to identify the difference between the
contribution of a methyl group and that of a methylene group on solute
retention when retained exclusively by dipersive forces. The curves relating
log(V'r(T)) to the number of methylene groups in each of the three n-alkanes
for seven different temperatures are shown in figure 8.
 
Figure 8.
Graph of Log(V'r(T)) against Number of Methylene Groups for a Series
of n-Alkanes
It is seen
from figure 8 that the expected straight lines are produced at each temperature
and that the index of determination is very close to unity. Now as the slope
represents the contribution to the standard energy from each methylene group
and the intercept represents the contribution from two methyl groups, then the contribution from a single methyl group is seen to be significantly
less than that from one methylene group
Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
Author: RPW Scott
Book:The Thermodynamics of Chromatography
Section:Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
Adopting the
procedure of dividing (DGo)
into different parts so that the each portion represents the standard free
energy associated with specific parts of a molecule, consider the distribution
of the standard free energy throughout an n-alkane molecule. If a
portion of (DGo) is allotted
to each methylene group and also to the two methyl groups, then, algebraically,
this can be expressed as follows.
RTLn(V'r(T))
= -nDGo(MethyleneGroup) -mDGo(Methyl Group)
DGo(Methylene Group)
is standard free energy of the methylene group,
DGo(Methyl Group)
is standard free energy of the methyl group,
(n)
is the number of methylene groups,
and, (m)
is the number of methyl groups (m=2 for an n-alkane).
 
Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
Author: RPW Scott
Book:The Thermodynamics of Chromatography
Section:Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
;
where (rT1) is the density of the stationary phase at (T1)
Graphs
relating log(V'r(T)) to the number of methylene groups in a molecule
is shown in figure 6 for a range of different solute types. Figure 6 shows that
the slopes of each linear curve (which will be related to the contribution of
each methylene group to the total standard free energy) are very similar for
all the series. In contrast, the intercepts (standard free energy contributions
from other groups and atoms) differ considerably. By averaging the values for
the slopes, and taking the average value
so obtained, in conjunction with the appropriate number of methylene groups together with the actual values for the intercepts,
it is possible to calculate the theoretical values for log(V'r(T))
for each value in each series. The
Thermodynamics Dispersive-Interactions
Author: RPW Scott
Book:The Thermodynamics of Chromatography
Section:Thermodynamics Distribution-Energy Chemical-Groups
can be allotted to specific
types of molecular interaction that can occur between the solute molecules and
the two phases (e.g. energies involved in dispersive interactions,
polar interactions and ionic interactions, or subdivisions of these
interactive processes such as 'so called' complexation, hydrogen bonding
etc.); alternatively, the molecule can be divided into different parts or
chemical groups (e.g., methyl groups, methylene groups, phenyl groups
etc.) and the interactions of each group allotted a portion of the standard energy.
Due to the fact that it is extremely difficult to separate the different
interactive processes that take place during distribution, the latter
distribution of standard energy (i.e. between different chemical groups
or atoms) has provided the more useful information.
Distribution of Standard Energy Between Different Chemical Groups
The
distribution of standard energy between different chemical groups was a concept
first suggested by Martin (2
Thermodynamics Distribution-Energy Chemical-Groups