Small hydrophobic organic ions in aqueous solutions

Abstract

Small-angle neutron scattering expts. were performed at 25° on solns. of tetraphenylphosphonium chloride and sodium tetraphenylborate in deuterated water and in deuterated DMF. The results show a strong attraction between either the org. cations or the org. anions when the salts are dissolved in water. In the org. solvent the attraction between the equally charged org. ions is very weak. This is the 1st structural evidence of hydrophobic assocn. of small org. ions in water.