Researchers isolate hydrogen fluoride and water to understand acid dissolution
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 - 08:12
in Physics & Chemistry
(Phys.org)—Beginning level chemistry classes learn about Brønsted-Lowry acids. These acids dissociate in water to form an H+ ion and a negatively charged counterion. While this is a fundamental lesson, the actual mechanism of dissolution is a bit of a mystery. The H+ molecule combines with water to form H3O+, but the number of water molecules needed to hydrate the simplest acid, HF, is unknown. Attempts to isolate HF and H2O are difficult, largely because of the high reactivity of HF and the tendency of water to form hydrogen bonds.