Raman spectroscopic studies of acid dissociation in sulfonated polystyrene resins

Edwards, H.G.M., Brown, D.R., Dale, J.A. and Plant, S. (2001) Raman spectroscopic studies of acid dissociation in sulfonated polystyrene resins. Journal of Molecular Structure, 595 (1-3). pp. 111-118. ISSN 00222860

Abstract

FT-Raman spectra of sulfonated polystyrene resins with varying levels of sulfonation from 9–97% have been recorded. Molecular markers of –SO3H and –SO3− moieties have been proposed and used to determine quantitatively the degree of dissociation of the acids as a function of total sulfonic acid and sulfonate concentrations. Comparison with the ethanesulfonic acid/water system has been made and it is concluded that the low-sulfonation and high-sulfonation resins closely resemble this molecular acid/water system, but that intermediate sulfonation specimens are dissociated some 18% less than the corresponding ethanesulfonic acid/water analogues. This is ascribed to the presence of hydrogen-bonded acid groups with water in the gel region of the resins which had been suggested in previous infrared spectroscopic measurements

Item control for Repository Staff only: