Estimation of individual Gibbs energies of cation transfer employing the insertion electrochemistry of solid Prussian blue

A novel method to determine the Gibbs energy of cation transfer between two miscible solvents is described. This method uses electrochemical data for the reversible cation-assisted solid-state reduction of Prussian blue using ferrocene as internal potential standard. Voltammetric data can be used for a direct measurement of the Gibbs energy of ion transfer from one solvent to another using midpeak potentials in solutions of suitable salts in each one of the solvents separately or mixtures of the solvents. Excess Gibbs energies of solvation in solvent mixtures can also be directly estimated. Gibbs energies of cation transfer of Li+, Na+ and K+ ions from water to MeOH, MeCN and DMSO are reported. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.