Oxygen-18 isotope effects in the liquid water–pyridine system as a probe of intermolecular forces
Oxygen-18 exchange between gaseous carbon dioxide and water in liquid water–pyridine mixtures is used as a probe for changes in intermolecular forces when the composition of the system is changed from pure water to pure pyridine. In agreement with results obtained previously by other methods, it is found that the interaction energy of an 'average' water molecule with the medium decreases when the mole fraction of pyridine is varied from zero to unity. The experimental results are related to the vapour pressure isotope effect, P(H218O)/P(H216O), of the binary mixtures. The utility of the Stern – Van Hook – Wolfsberg equation for vapour pressure isotope effects has been investigated. In addition, a plot of the equilibrium constant of the oxygen-18 exchange reaction vs. the mole fraction of pyridine presents no evidence of the formation of stoichiometric pyridine–water complexes.