Analysis of the complexation reaction between Ag+ and ethylene

In the present work the reversible, bimolecular (1,1) reaction between ethylene and Ag+ in concentrated AgNO3(aq) solutions is analyzed. Due to interactions between the positively charged Ag+ ions and the negatively charged NO3- ions, the silver nitrate is not completely dissociated and the actual free silver ion concentration is considerably lower than the maximum theoretical concentration. Especially at low temperatures and high salt concentrations the reduction in the degree of dissociation is significant. The influence of this degree of dissociation of the silver salt is considered and incorporated in the interpretation of the experimentally obtained results. Physical-chemical characteristics, transport properties of the system, the equilibrium constant of complexation, and the order of magnitude of the kinetic constants of the reaction between Ag+ and ethylene are determined. Subsequent calculation of the enhancement factor shows that the actual enhancement factor is almost equal to the infinite enhancement factor, indicating that the complexation reaction is almost instantaneous. The process is diffusion limited and strongly enhanced by the chemical complexation reaction.