chemistry

Inorganic nonaqueous solvent

Inorganic nonaqueous solvent is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Inorganic nonaqueous solvent rather than just read about it. In short: An inorganic nonaqueous solvent is a solvent other than water, that is not an organic compound. These solvents are used in chemical research and industry for reactions that cannot occur in aqueous solutions or require a special environment.

Key takeaways

Inorganic nonaqueous solvent belongs to chemistry; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Inorganic nonaqueous solvent to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Inorganic nonaqueous solvent from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

An inorganic nonaqueous solvent is a solvent other than water, that is not an organic compound. These solvents are used in chemical research and industry for reactions that cannot occur in aqueous solutions or require a special environment. Inorganic nonaqueous solvents can be classified into two groups, protic solvents and aprotic solvents. Early studies on inorganic nonaqueous solvents evaluated ammonia, hydrogen fluoride, sulfuric acid, as well as more specialized solvents, hydrazine, and selenium oxychloride.

Protic inorganic nonaqueous solvents Prominent members include ammonia, hydrogen fluoride, sulfuric acid, hydrogen cyanide. Ammonia (and several amines as well) are useful for the generating solutions of highly reducing species because the N-H bond resists reduction. The chemistry of electrides and alkalides relies on amine solvents. The combination of HF and SbF5 is the basis of a superacid solution. Using this mixture, the conjugate acid of hydrogen sulfide can be isolated:

H2S + HF + SbF5 → [H3S]SbF6

Autoionization The limiting acid in a given solvent is the solvonium ion, such as H3O+ (hydronium) ion in water. An acid which has more of a tendency to donate a hydrogen ion than the limiting acid will be a strong acid in the solvent considered, and will exist mostly or entirely in its dissociated form. Likewise, the limiting base in a given solvent is the solvate ion, such as OH− (hydroxide) ion, in water. A base which has more affinity for protons than the limiting base cannot exist in solution, as it will react with the solvent. For example, the limiting acid in liquid ammonia is the ammonium ion, NH4+ which has a pKa value in water of 9.25. The limiting base is the amide ion, NH2−. NH2− is a stronger base than the hydroxide ion and so cannot exist in aqueous solution. The pKa value of ammonia is estimated to be approximately 34 (cf. water, 14).

Aprotic inorganic nonaqueous solvents Prominent members include sulfur dioxide, sulfuryl chloride fluoride, dinitrogen tetroxide, antimony trichloride, and bromine trifluoride. These solvents have proven useful for study highly electrophilic or highly oxidizing compounds or ions. Several (SO2, SO2ClF, N2O4) are gases near room temperature, so they are handled using vacuum-line techniques. The generation of [IS7]+ and [BrS7]+ are illustrative. These highly electrophilic salts are prepared in SO2 solution. The preparation of [SBr3]+ salts also calls for a mixed solvent composed of SO2 and SO2FCl. Sulfuryl chloride fluoride is often used for the synthesis of noble gas compounds.

Autoionization Many inorganic solvents participate in autoionization reactions. In the solvent system definition of acids and bases, autoionization of solvents affords the equivalent to acids and bases. Relevant autoionizations:

2BrF3 ↽ − ⇀ {\displaystyle {\ce {<=>>}}} BrF2+ + BrF4− N2O4 ⇌ NO+ (nitrosonium) + NO3− (nitrate) 2SbCl3 ⇌ SbCl2+ + SbCl4− 2POCl3 ⇌ POCl2+ + POCl4− According to the solvent-system definition, acids are the compounds that increase the concentration of the solvonium (positive) ions, and bases are the compounds that result in the increase of the solvate (negative) ions, where solvonium and solvate are the ions found in the pure solvent in equilibrium with its neutral molecules: The solvent SO2 is relatively uncomplicated, it does not autoionize.

See also Nonaqueous titration Protic solvent

References

External links Media related to Inorganic solvents at Wikimedia Commons

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Inorganic nonaqueous solvent

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Inorganic nonaqueous solvent claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Inorganic nonaqueous solvent before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Inorganic nonaqueous solvent ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Inorganic nonaqueous solvent

In research: Inorganic nonaqueous solvent appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Inorganic nonaqueous solvent in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Inorganic nonaqueous solvent is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Inorganic solvents, Solvents, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Inorganic nonaqueous solvent outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Inorganic nonaqueous solvent in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Inorganic nonaqueous solvent in simple terms?

Why does Inorganic nonaqueous solvent matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Inorganic nonaqueous solvent?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Inorganic nonaqueous solvent.