Acid–Base Properties, Solubility, Activity Coefficients and Na+ Ion Pair Formation of Complexons in NaCl(aq) at Different Ionic Strengths

The protonation constants and solubilities of three complexons [ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS), ethylene glycol bis(2-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (EGTA) and 1,2-cyclohexanediamine-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid (CDTA)] are reported in aqueous solutions of NaCl with different ionic strength values (0 ≤ I ≤ 4.8 mol·L−1) and, in the case of CDTA, in (CH3)4NCl (0.1 ≤ I ≤ 2.7 mol·L−1). The dependence on ionic strength of the protonation constants of these three complexons and four other complexons that were previously reported (NTA, EDTA, DTPA and TTHA), is analyzed in NaCl solution; the ionic strength influences quite strongly the protonation constants (as an example for CDTA, log10K1 = 10.54 and 9.25 at I = 0.1 and 1 mol·L−1, respectively), while the effect of (CH3)4NCl concentration is lower. Based on the total solubility ST and the protonation constant data at different salt concentrations, the solubility of the neutral species S0 and the solubility products KS0 are obtained. The Setschenow coefficients km and the solubility values S00 in pure water are also reported (S00 = 0.55, 0.21 and 0.75 mmol·kg−1 for EDDS, EGTA and CDTA, respectively). The dependence of the protonation constants on ionic strength is also interpreted in terms of ion pair formation, and the formation constants of Na+ species are reported.