The effects of chloride salts of some cations on the molecular organization of H2O. Towards understanding the Hofmeister series. II

We use the thermodynamic behaviour of I-propanol (1P) as a probe in ternary 1P-salt-H2O systems to elucidate the effect of a salt on the molecular organization of H2O. For salts, we have chosen CaCl2, NH4Cl, and (CH3)(4)NCl (TMAC). Having fixed the counter anion at Cl-, we compare here mainly the effects of chosen cations on H2O. Together with an earlier study on NaCl, we found that Ca2+, Na+, and NH4+ are hydrated by a number of H2O molecules and leave the bulk H2O away from the hydration shell unperturbed. The hydration numbers were found to be 6.4 +/- 1.6, and 1.2 +/- 0.4, for Ca2+ and NH4+, respectively with the hydration number 5.2 for Na+, the result of a simulation study, chosen as a reference. Thus, a salting out (also referred to as structure making, stabilizing, or kosmotropic) tendency would decrease in the order; Ca2+ > Na+ > NH4+. TMA(+), on the other hand, showed a more hydrophilic characteristics than the probing 1P. Thus, TMA(+) is rather chaotropic (salting in, structure breaking or destabilizing) within this methodology.