- #1
ScepticAmatuer
- 26
- 1
I have seen something to this effect stated dozens of times on the internet : "..because the deuterons and the protons are exchanging so quickly, you will end up with a statistical distribution: 25% H2O, 25% D2O, and 50% HDO." They are referring to a sample of water which is 50 atom % deuterium (relative to hydrogen) . In other words, it is not possible to isolate a sample of pure HDO.
But how can this be true if the deuterium-oxygen bond is significantly stronger than the hydrogen-oxygen bond? Won't the deuterium show higher affinity to the oxygen and displace the hydrogen there statistically? What would be the pH of such a solution? Is the hydronium/ deuteron ion concentration the same as it would be in 100% HDO
(were that possible). Would pH = pD ?
But how can this be true if the deuterium-oxygen bond is significantly stronger than the hydrogen-oxygen bond? Won't the deuterium show higher affinity to the oxygen and displace the hydrogen there statistically? What would be the pH of such a solution? Is the hydronium/ deuteron ion concentration the same as it would be in 100% HDO
(were that possible). Would pH = pD ?