Studies in heavy metal soaps-I molecular weights of some copper n-alkanoates

Abstract

Copper alkanoates have been found to show considerably low values of magnetic susceptibility compared to other copper salts. Two alternative explanations based on formation of chelate rings either on a monomeric or dimeric structure, have been suggested for the above observations. The crystal structure as well as partition coefficients experiments tend to support the latter view. Actual measurements of molecular weights ebullioscopically in benzene employing a sensitive thermistor for elevations of temperature have confirmed the dimeric nature of the following soaps-butyrate laurate, palmitate and stearate of copper in chloroform and benzene.