Acid Dissociation Constant

Information about Acid Dissociation Constant

An acid dissociation constant, denoted by K_a, is an equilibrium constant for the dissociation of a weak acid. According to the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases an acid is only recognised by its reaction with a base. In aqueous solution, the base is water itself.

HA +H₂O $\text{[math]}$ A^- + H₃O⁺

Acid dissociation constants are also known as the acidity constant or the acid-ionization constant. The term is also used for pK_a, which is equal to minus the decimal logarithm of K_a (cologarithm of K_a).

Concepts in Chemical Equilibria
Acid dissociation constant
Binding constant
Chemical equilibrium
Dissociation constant
Distribution coefficient
Equilibrium constant
Equilibrium unfolding
Liquid-liquid extraction
Phase diagram
Phase rule
Reaction quotient
Solubility equilibrium
Stability constant
Thermodynamic equilibrium
Vapor-Liquid Equilibrium
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Definitions

Monoprotic acids

When an acid, HA, dissolves in water, some molecules of the acid 'dissociate' to form hydronium ions and the conjugate base, (A^-), of the acid.

$\text{[math]}$

It is understood that $\text{[math]}$ stands for the hydronium ion and that each species in this equilibrium may solvate to a greater or lesser extent. The acid dissociation constant is defined as

$\text{[math]}$

where the square brackets are usually taken to signify concentration. $\text{[math]}$ is omitted from these expressions because in dilute solution the concentration of water may be assumed to be constant. Values of $\text{[math]}$ vary over many orders of magnitude, so it is common to take the logarithm to base ten of the value.

$\text{[math]}$

It is easier to compare the strengths of different acids by comparing $\text{[math]}$ values as they vary over a much smaller range.

Polyprotic acids

A polyprotic acid is one that has more than one proton to dissociate. Typical examples are malonic acid, which has two ionizable protons and phosphoric acid, which has three. The constant for dissociation of the first proton may be denoted as $\text{[math]}$ and the constants for dissociation of successive protons as $\text{[math]}$ , etc.

It is generally true that successive pK values increase (Pauling's first rule).^[1]. For example, for a diprotic acid, $\text{[math]}$ , the two equilibria are

$\text{[math]}$

it can be seen that the second proton is removed from a negatively charged species. Since the proton carries a positive charge extra work is needed to remove it. Therefore $\text{[math]}$ . There are a few exceptions to this rule which occur when there is a major structural change such as in the sequence

$\text{[math]}$	$\text{[math]}$
$\text{[math]}$	$\text{[math]}$
$\text{[math]}$	$\text{[math]}$
$\text{[math]}$	$\text{[math]}$

The pKs of vanadic acid, $\text{[math]}$ , follow Pauling's rule just like phosphoric acid (values below). All species in this series are tetrahedral, but $\text{[math]}$ is octahedral and $\text{[math]}$ . ^[2]

Bases

Historically the equilibrium constant $\text{[math]}$ for a base was defined as the dissociation constant of $\text{[math]}$ , the acid conjugate to the base, $\text{[math]}$ . Ionic charges on $\text{[math]}$ and/or $\text{[math]}$ are omitted here because the base may be a neutral species such as ammonia or a charged species such as the ethanoate ion (acetate).

$\text{[math]}$

Using similar reasoning to that used before

$\text{[math]}$

Now, the concentration of the hydroxide ion is related to the concentration of the hydronium by $\text{[math]}$ , therefore

$\text{[math]}$ ;

$\text{[math]}$ is the constant for the self-ionization of water. Substituting the expression for $\text{[math]}$ into the expression for $\text{[math]}$

$\text{[math]}$

It follows that

$\text{[math]}$

In water at 25 °C $\text{[math]}$ is 14 so then $\text{[math]}$ .

In effect there is no need to define $\text{[math]}$ separately from $\text{[math]}$ , but it is done because $\text{[math]}$ values can be found in literature.

Protonation constants

The protonation constant for a substance $\text{[math]}$ , is given by

$\text{[math]}$

Again, ionic charges are omitted from $\text{[math]}$ and $\text{[math]}$ . $\text{[math]}$ is an association constant.

For any substance $\text{[math]}$

Temperature dependence

All equilibrium constants vary with temperature according the van 't Hoff equation

$\text{[math]}$

Thus, for exothermic reactions, (ΔH is negative) K decreases with temperature, but for endothermic reactions (ΔH is positive) K increases with temperature.

Usage

The pH of a solution of weak acid can be expressed in terms of the extent of dissociation. After rearranging the expression defining the dissociation constant, and putting pH = -log₁₀[H⁺], one obtains

$\text{[math]}$

This is a form of the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation. It can be deduced from this expression that

when the acid is 1% dissociated, that is, when $\text{[math]}$ , pH = pK_a -2
when the acid is 50% dissociated, that is, when $\text{[math]}$ , pH = pK_a
when the acid is 99% dissociated, that is, when $\text{[math]}$ , pH = pK_a + 2

It follows that the range of pH within which there is partial dissociation of the acid is about pK_a $\text{[math]}$ 2.This is shown graphically at the right.

A weak acid may be defined as an acid with pK_a greater than about -2. An acid with pK_a = -2 would be 99% dissociated at pH 0, that is, in a 1M solution. Any acid with a pK_a less than about -2 is said to be a strong acid. Strong acids are said to be fully dissociated. There is no precise pK_a value that distinguishes between strong and weak acids because strong acids, such as sulfuric acid, are associated in very concentrated solution.

On the pK_a scale of acid strength, a large value indicates a very weak acid, and a small value indicates a not so weak one.

The pH of a solution of a weak acid can be easily calculated when the analytical concentration of the acid is known. See ICE table for details.

Some polyprotic acids can be treated as a set of individual acids. This is possible when successive pK values differ by 4 or more. For example with phosphoric acid

H₃PO₄ $\text{[math]}$ H₂PO₄^- +H⁺, pK_a1 = 2.15

H₂PO₄^- $\text{[math]}$ HPO₄^2- +H⁺, pK_a2 = 7.20

HPO₄^2- $\text{[math]}$ PO₄^3- +H⁺, pK_a3 = 12.37

Both the hydrogenphosphate and dihydrogenphosphate ions can be treated as acids in their own right. On the other hand, the two pKs for malonic acid are 2.51 and 5.05, so there are pH values at which both malonic acid and the hydrogenmalonate ion co-exist. Therefore more elaborate calculations are needed to calculate the composition of solutions of this acid.

Factors that determine the relative strengths of acids

Being an equilibrium constant, the acid dissociation constant K_a is determined by the standard free energy difference ΔG^o between the reactants and products, specifically, between the protonated (AH) and deprotonated (A⁻) forms of the substance.

Pauling's second rule^[1] states that the value of the first pK for acids of the formula XO_m(OH) _n is approximately independent of n and X and is approximately 8 for m=0, 2 for m=1, -3 for m=2 and <-10 for m=3. This correlates with the oxidation state of the central atom, X: the higher the oxidation state the stronger the oxyacid. For example, pK_a for HClO is 7.2, for HClO₂ is 2.0 for HClO₃ is -1 and HClO₄ is a strong acid.

With organic acids inductive effects and mesomeric effects affect the pKs. The effects are summarised in the Hammett equation and subsequent extensions.

Structural effects can also be important. The case of Fumaric and maleic acid is a classic example. Fumaric acid is the trans isomer of 1,4- but-2-enedioic acid, whereas maleic acid is the cis isomer. Fumaric acid has pK_as of approximately 3.5 and 4.5. By contrast, maleic acid has pK_as of approximately 1.5 and 6.5. The reason for this large difference is that when one proton is removed from the cis- isomer (maleic acid) a strong intramolecular hydrogen bond is formed with the nearby remaining carboxyl group. This both favours the formation of the maleateH⁺ and opposes the removal of the second proton from that species. In the trans- isomer the two carboxyl groups are always far apart.

Importance of pK_a values

The pK_a value(s) of a compound influence many characteristics of the compound such as its reactivity, and spectral properties (colour). In biochemistry the pK_a values of proteins and amino acid side chains are of major importance for the activity of enzymes and the stability of proteins. This property is of general importance in chemistry because ionization of a compound alters its physical behavior and macro properties such as solubility and lipophilicity. For example ionization of any compound will increase the solubility in water, but decrease the lipophilicity. This can be exploited in drug development to increase the concentration of a compound in the blood by adjusting the pKa of an ionizable group. This must be done with caution, however, since an ionized compound will pass less easily through cell membranes.

Further information: Protein pKa calculations

Acidity in nonaqueous solutions

Three properties of a solvent strongly affect acids and bases.

A Protic solvent can form hydrogen bonds and will promote ionisation.
A solvent with a high donor number is a strong Lewis base.
A solvent with a high dielectric constant (Relative permittivity) will promote ionisation.

	Donor number	dielectric constant
Acetonitrile	14.1	37.5
Dimethylsulfoxide	29.8	45
Ethanol	31.5	24.3
Pyridine	33.1	12.3
Water	18	81.7

For a given acid, pK_a values will vary depending on solvent. The degree of dissociation of any acid increases with the increasing basicity of the solvent. On the other hand, dissociation is relatively less for solvents of low dielectric constant. An acidic solvent will also suppress dissociation of an acid. For example, hydrogen chloride is a weak acid, i.e. poorly ionised, when dissolved in the acidic solvent acetic acid.

Acidity scales have been developed for solvents aside from water, notably for dimethylsulfoxide and acetonitrile.^[3] It can be seen in the table above that DMSO is more basic than water, but its dielectric constant is less. DMSO is widely used as as an alternative to water in evaluating acids and bases.

In solvents of low dielectric constant, ions tend to associate, which complicates the interpretation of pK_as. In particular, in aprotic solvents the process of homoconjugation occurs when the conjugate base forms a hydrogen bond with the parent acid as in the following equilibrium

HA + A^- $\text{[math]}$ HA₂^-

Typically HA₂^- would have the structure A---H---A. This process does not occur in water because H₂O molecules are strong hydrogen bond donors and acceptors.

In acetonitrile solution, para-toluenesulfonic acid has a homoconjugation constant pK^f, of -2.9.^[4] This indicates that the toluenesulfonate anion has a strong tendency to form a hydrogen bond with the parent acid. Homoconjugation has the effect of enhancing the acidity of acids, lowering their effective pK_as, by stabilizing the conjugate base. Due to homoconjugation, the proton-donating power of toluenesulfonic acid in acetonitrile solution is enhanced by a factor of nearly 800.

pK_a of some common substances

Measurements are at 25ºC in water, except for those with a pKa below -1.76:

- 25.00: Fluoroantimonic acid
- 15.00: Magic acid
- 10.00: Fluorosulfuric acid
- 10.00: Perchloric acid
- 10.00: Hydroiodic acid
- 9.00: Hydrobromic acid
- 8.00: Hydrochloric acid
- 3.00, 1.99: Sulfuric acid
- 2.00: Nitric acid
- 1.76: Hydronium ion
3.15: Hydrofluoric acid
3.60: Carbonic acid
3.75: Formic acid
4.04: Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
4.19: Succinic acid
4.20: Benzoic acid
4.63: Aniline*
4.76: Acetic acid
4.76: Dihydrogencitrate ion (Citrate)
5.21: Pyridine*
6.40: Monohydrogencitrate ion Citrate
6.99: Ethylenediamine*
7.00: Hydrogen sulfide, Imidazole* (as an acid)
7.50: Hypochlorous acid
9.25: Ammonia*
9.33: Benzylamine*
9.81: Trimethylamine*
9.99: Phenol
10.08: Ethylenediamine*
10.66: Methylamine*
10.73: Dimethylamine*
10.81: Ethylamine*
11.01: Triethylamine*
11.09: Diethylamine*
11.65: Hydrogen peroxide
12.50: Guanidine*
12.67: Monohydrogenphosphate ion (Phosphate)
14.58: Imidazole (as a base)
15.76: Water
- 19.00 (pKb) Sodium amide
37.00: Lithium diisopropylamide (LDA)
45.00: Propane
50.00: Ethane

* Listed values for ammonia and amines are the pKa values for the corresponding ammonium ions.

References

1. ^ Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997). Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd Edition, Oxford:Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4. p. 50
2. ^ Greenwood, N. N.; Earnshaw, A. (1997). Chemistry of the Elements, 2nd Edition, Oxford:Butterworth-Heinemann. ISBN 0-7506-3365-4. Chapter 22
3. ^ March, J. “Advanced Organic Chemistry” 4th Ed. J. Wiley and Sons, 1992: New York. ISBN 0-471-60180-2.
4. ^ Coetzee, J. F. and Padmanabhan, G. R., "Proton Acceptor Power and Homoconjugation of Mono- and Diamines", J. Amer. Chem. Soc.,1965, 87, 5005-5010.

External links

Bordwell pKa Table in DMSO
Shodor.org Acid-Base Chemistry
Factors that Affect the Relative Strengths of Acids and Bases
Purdue Chemistry
Distribution diagrams of acids and bases (generation from p $\text{[math]}$ values with free spreadsheet)
SPARC Physical/Chemical property calculator
List of Aqueous-Equilibrium Constants
Free guide to pKa & logP interpretation and measurement

• • [ e] Articles related to solutions
Solution	Ideal solution • Aqueous solution • Solid solution • Flory-Huggins • Mixture • Suspension (chemistry) • Colloid • Phase diagram • Eutectic point • Alloy
Concentration	Saturation (chemistry) • Supersaturation • Molar solution • Percentage solution
Solubility	Solubility equilibrium • Total dissolved solids • Dissolve • Solvation • Enthalpy change of solution • Lattice energy • Henry's law • Solubility table (data) • Solubility chart
Solvent	() • Acid dissociation constant • Protic solvent • Inorganic nonaqueous solvent • Solvation • Solvation shell • List of boiling and freezing information of solvents Partition coefficient • Polarity • Hydrophobe • Hydrophile • Lipophilic • Amphiphile

equilibrium constant. See also Determination of equilibrium constants for experimental and computational methods.

Types of equilibrium constants

Association and dissociation constants

In organic chemistry and biochemistry it is customary to use pK_a
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aqueous solution is a solution in which the solvent is water. It is usually shown in chemical equations as a subscript (aq). The word aqueous means pertaining to, related to, similar to, or dissolved in water.
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logarithm (to base b) of a number x is the exponent y that satisfies x = b^y. It is written log_b(x) or, if the base is implicit, as log(x).
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In mathematics, the base-b cologarithm of a number, sometimes shortened to colog, is the base-b logarithm of the multiplicative inverse of the number.
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chemical equilibrium is the state in which the chemical activities or concentrations of the reactants and products have no net change over time. Usually, this state results when the forward chemical process proceeds at the same rate as their reverse reaction.
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The binding constant is a special case of the equilibrium constant K. The equilibrium state of molecular binding, i.e. the balance between the binding and dissociation processes after infinite reaction time, may be formalized as the unbound compounds (reactants) transforming into
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dissociation constant is a specific type of equilibrium constant that measures the propensity of a larger object to separate (dissociate) reversibly into smaller components, as when a complex falls apart into its component molecules, or when a salt splits up into its component ions.
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In the fields of organic and medicinal chemistry, a partition or distribution coefficient (K_D) is the ratio of concentrations of a compound in the two phases of a mixture of two immiscible solvents at equilibrium.
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equilibrium constant. See also Determination of equilibrium constants for experimental and computational methods.

Types of equilibrium constants

Association and dissociation constants

In organic chemistry and biochemistry it is customary to use pK_a
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In biochemistry, equilibrium unfolding is the process of unfolding a protein or RNA molecule by gradually changing its solution conditions, i.e., its environment. Since equilibrium is maintained at all steps, the process is reversible (equilibrium folding).
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Separation processes

Processes
Acid-base extraction • Chromatography • Crystallization • Dissolved air flotation • Distillation • Drying • Electrochromatography • Filtration • Flocculation • Froth flotation
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In physical chemistry, mineralogy, and materials science, a phase diagram is a type of graph used to show the equilibrium conditions between the thermodynamically-distinct phases.
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The phase rule of Willard Josiah Gibbs in the 1870 is the fundamental rule which phase diagrams are based on.

P + F = C + 2

P is the number of phases present in equilibrium (Types of solid, liquid, gas phases etc).
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In chemistry, reaction quotient is a quantitative measure of the extent of reaction, the relative proportion of products and reactants present in the reaction mixture at some instant of time.
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Solubility equilibrium is any chemical equilibrium between solid and dissolved states of a compound at saturation.

Solubility equilibria involve application of chemical principles and constants to predict solubility of substances under specific conditions (because
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equilibrium constant. See also Determination of equilibrium constants for experimental and computational methods.

Types of equilibrium constants

Association and dissociation constants

In organic chemistry and biochemistry it is customary to use pK_a
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thermodynamic equilibrium when it is in thermal equilibrium, mechanical equilibrium, and chemical equilibrium. The local state of a system at thermodynamic equilibrium is determined by the values of its intensive parameters, as pressure, temperature, etc.
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Vapor-liquid equilibrium, abbreviated as VLE by some, is a condition where a liquid and its vapor (gas phase) are in equilibrium with each other, a condition or state where the rate of evaporation (liquid changing to vapor) equals the rate of condensation (vapor changing to
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In chemistry, hydronium is the common name for the cation H₃O⁺ derived from protonation of water. It is the simplest type of an oxonium ion.

Nomenclature

According to IUPAC ion nomenclature, the hydronium ion should be referred to as
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equilibrium constant. See also Determination of equilibrium constants for experimental and computational methods.

Types of equilibrium constants

Association and dissociation constants

In organic chemistry and biochemistry it is customary to use pK_a
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In chemistry, concentration is the measure of how much of a given substance there is mixed with another substance. This can apply to any sort of chemical mixture, but most frequently the concept is limited to homogeneous solutions, where it refers to the amount of
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logarithm (to base b) of a number x is the exponent y that satisfies x = b^y. It is written log_b(x) or, if the base is implicit, as log(x).
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ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) is a set of properties that guarantee that database transactions are processed reliably. In the context of databases, a single logical operation on the data is called a transaction.
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Malonic acid (IUPAC systematic name: propanedioic acid) is a dicarboxylic acid with structure CH₂(COOH)₂. The ionised form of malonic acid, as well as its esters and salts, are known as malonates.
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Phosphoric acid, also known as orthophosphoric acid or phosphoric(V) acid, is a mineral (inorganic) acid having the chemical formula H₃PO₄.
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Ammonia is a compound with the formula NH₃. It is normally encountered as a gas with a characteristic pungent odor. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of the planet as a precursor to foodstuffs and fertilizers.
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An acetate, or ethanoate, is a salt or ester of acetic acid.

Acetate anion

The acetate anion, [C₂H₃O₂]⁻, is a carboxylate and is the conjugate base of acetic acid.
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In chemistry, hydroxide is the most common name for the diatomic anion OH⁻, consisting of oxygen and hydrogen atoms, usually derived from the dissociation of a base. It is one of the simplest diatomic ions known.
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The self-ionization of water is the chemical reaction in which two water molecules react to produce a hydronium (H₃O⁺) and a hydroxide ion (OH⁻):

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Acid Dissociation Constant

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