The
acid dissociation constants (pK
a) of 7-hydroxyflavone,
3-hydroxyflavone and 5-hydroxyflavone, which
are practically insoluble compounds in water but of great biological
and physicochemical interest, were determined by UV–visible
spectroscopy in ethanol–water and acetonitrile–water
solutions, varying the solvent relative permittivity in the interval
of 61 to 75, at constant ionic strength (0.050 mol·kg–1) and temperature (298.15 K). The pK
a values of the compounds increase as the permittivity of the reaction
medium decreases. Correlations were established between the pK
a values and empirical parameters of the solvents,
such as the relative permittivity and hydrogen-bond donor capacity.
These equations allow the interpretation of the solvent effect on
the acid–base equilibria and the determination of pK
a values at 298.15 K in pure water. The ordering
of the pK
a values was 7-hydroxyflavone
(7.28) < 3-hydroxyflavone (8.68) < 5-hydroxyflavone (11.75).
In addition, the dissociation constants were also calculated by means
of DFT methods (B3LYP/6-311+G(2d,p) level of theory), employing several
thermodynamic cycles. The solvent effect on the optimized structures
in the gas-phase was evaluated using the polarizable continuum model.
A good agreement was observed between the theoretical and experimental
pK
a values. Finally, the experimental
ordering in the acidity of the hydroxyflavones was explained using
natural bond orbital analysis.