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Why is hydrofluoric acid a weak acid?

Patrick Ayotte1, Martin Hébert, Patrick Marchand

  • 1Département de chimie, Université de Sherbrooke, 2500 Boulevard Université, Sherbrooke, Québec J1K 2R1, Canada. Patrick.Ayotte@Usherbrooke.ca

The Journal of Chemical Physics
|November 19, 2005
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Infrared spectra of hydrogen fluoride (HF) in solid water reveal aqueous protons, indicating HF acts as a weak acid due to favorable reaction entropy from the fluoride ion structure.

Area of Science:

  • Physical Chemistry
  • Spectroscopy
  • Materials Science

Background:

  • Hydrogen fluoride (HF) solutions are known to exhibit acidic properties.
  • The behavior of HF in aqueous solutions at low temperatures is not fully understood.
  • Spectroscopic methods can provide insights into molecular interactions and dissociation processes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dissociation of HF in amorphous solid water at low temperatures.
  • To identify spectroscopic signatures of aqueous protons in doped ice films.
  • To elucidate the thermodynamic factors governing HF's acidic behavior in dilute aqueous solutions.

Main Methods:

  • Infrared (IR) spectroscopy was used to analyze amorphous solid water thin films doped with HF.
  • Experiments were conducted at a low temperature of 40 K.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Absorbance spectra were recorded in the 1000-3275 cm(-1) range.

    • Main Results:

    • A strong, continuous absorbance, identified as the Zundel continuum, was observed in the IR spectra.
    • The Zundel continuum is a characteristic spectral feature of aqueous protons.
    • Extensive ionic dissociation of HF was inferred at 40 K, suggesting a negative reaction enthalpy.
    • The reaction enthalpy for HF dissociation was found to remain negative down to 40 K.

    Conclusions:

    • The observed Zundel continuum confirms the presence of aqueous protons from HF dissociation.
    • The findings support the interpretation that HF in dilute aqueous solutions acts as a weak acid.
    • A large positive reaction entropy, attributed to the structure-making effect of the hydrated fluoride ion, is the primary reason for HF's weak acid behavior.