Thermodynamics of binary and ternary interactions in the tin(II)/phytate system in aqueous solutions, in the presence of Cl- or F-

An extensive study of the tin(II)/phytate (Phy) system was carried out in NaNO3(aq), at different ionic strengths (0.10 6 I/mol L1 6 1.00) and temperatures (278.15 6 T/K 6 328.15), by potentiometric and voltammetric techniques. The stability and formation enthalpy changes of six SnHqPhy species were determined. To better characterise this system, some potentiometric titrations were also carried out in mixed ionic media (NaNO3(aq) + NaCl(aq) and NaNO3(aq) + NaF(aq)) at total ionic strength I = 1.00 mol L1. The formation of some ternary mixed SnHqPhyCl and SnHqPhyF species (charges omitted for simplicity) was found. The formation enthalpies of the complex species were calculated, at I = 0.40 mol L1 in NaNO3(aq), by the dependence of stability constants on temperature obtained by potentiometric titrations, in the range 278.15 6 T/K 6 328.15. The complex formation process is endothermic, and the main contribution to tin(II) complexation by phytate is entropic in nature. For example, for the SnPhy species we have, at T = 298.15 K and I = 0.40 mol L1 in NaNO3(aq): DH = 57.7 ± 2.8 kJ mol L1, DG = 99.9 ± 1.7 kJ mol L1, and TDS = 158 ± 3 kJ mol L1. The ionic strength dependence of the formation constants of the simple tin(II)/phytate species, was modelled by the Debye–Hückel and the SIT approaches. The sequestering ability of phytate towards tin(II) was evaluated by calculating the pL0.5 values (i.e., the total ligand concentration necessary to bind 50% of cation present in trace) at different ionic strengths, ionic media, and pH. The sequestering ability increases with increasing the pH, whilst it decreases with increasing the ionic strength (the same behaviour shown by the stability constants). Moreover, taking into account the different sequestering ability of phytate towards tin(II) in the different ionic media, the trend: pL0.5 = 5.70 (in NaNO3(aq) + NaF(aq)) > pL0.5 = 5.16 (in NaNO3(aq) + NaCl(aq)) > pL0.5 = 4.86 (in NaNO3(aq)) was observed at pH 8.1 and I = 1.00 mol L1. This is due to the presence of a second ligand (Cl or F) that stabilizes the complex species with the formation of ternary complex species. Some empirical relationships were also found.