The use of positron spectroscopy for revealing the nanosized structures in liquid mixtures. Identification of n-propanol nanoagglomerates in aqueous solutions

• Published in: Russian Journal of Physical Chemistry A Vol. 88; no. 4; pp. 685 - 690
• Main Authors: Stepanov, P. S., Byakov, V. M., Zaluzhnyi, A. G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Moscow Pleiades Publishing 01-04-2014
• Subjects: Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Physical Chemistry; Physical Chemistry of Nanoclusters and Nanomaterials; propanol agglomerates in water; positronium; water-alcohol mixtures
• ISSN: 0036-0244; 1531-863X
• DOI: 10.1134/S003602441404027X

The potential of positron spectroscopy for identification of nanosized structures in liquid mixtures, which is a difficult problem that still remains a challenge in physical chemistry of liquids, was demonstrated. The water-
n
-propanol mixtures were chosen as an example. An analysis of the concentration dependences of the mean lifetime of
ortho
-positronium atoms in water-
n
-propanol binary mixtures and water-propanol mixtures containing CoCl
2
(0.4 M) and Co(ClO
4
)
2
(0.6 M) suggested that the water-
n
-propanol mixture with ∼0.1 to ∼0.4 mole fractions of propanol resembled an emulsion of alcohol nanodrops suspended in water.