Equilibrium constants from spectrophotometric data: dimer formation in gaseous Br2.

The equilibrium constant for the dimerization reaction, 2Br 2(g) right arrow over left arrow Br 4(g), is estimated using the classic spectrophotometric method with precise data and a multiwavelength fitting approach. The analysis is very sensitive to small errors in the data, requiring that parameters for the baseline absorption be included at each wavelength. To that end spectra for 18 Br 2 pressures in the range 6-119 Torr are augmented by six baseline scans to facilitate estimation of three baseline constants and two molar absorptivities at each wavelength, yielding K c = 2.5 +/- 0.4 L/mol at 22 degrees C. This value is more than double the only previous estimate, which was based on analysis of PVT data. With adoption of a literature estimate of Delta H degrees = -9.5 kJ/mol, the new K implies Delta S degrees = -51 J mol (-1) K (-1) (ideal gas, 1 bar reference). The spectra for monomer absorption (peak 227 nm) and dimer absorption (205 nm) are obtained with unprecedented precision.