Mixing states for aqueous solutions of water-miscible organic solvents, acetonitrile and 1,4-dioxane, have been investigated at the molecular level by means of small-angle neutron scattering SANS and NMR relaxation. It has been shown that the organic solvent and water molecules are inhomogeneously mixed each other at the molecular level, although their mixtures are homogeneous at the macroscopic scale. Thus, both organic solvent clusters and water clusters coexist in the mixtures. The present investigation has also revealed that the microinhomogeneity of acetonitrile-water and 1,4-dioxane-water mixtures is gradually enhanced by cooling or adding salts toward phase separation. Based on the results, the effect of microinhomogeneity for solvent mixtures on chemical reactions was considered.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.