Structural Inhomogeneity in Electrolyte Solutions: The Calcium Perchlorate–Water System

A new approach has been proposed to study the structure of aqueous electrolyte solutions. NIR, Raman and attenuated total reflectance, Fourier transform infra-red (ATR FTIR) spectra have been measured for aqueous calcium perchlorate solutions in the 0.22–4.3 mol·L−1 (0.22–7.46 mol·kg−1) concentration range at 25 °C. By the methods of principal component analysis (PCA) and multivariate curve resolution—alternating least squares (MCR-ALS) the number, spectra and concentration profiles have been determined for spectroscopically distinguishable forms of water and ClO4− ion in solutions. The results have been analyzed using a phenomenological model, establishing thereby: concentration ranges for structural rearrangements of the solution, the nature of structural microirregularities and different states of the ClO4− ion in the areas of domination of the natural water structure, and of cybotactic groups of calcium perchlorate hexa and tetra hydrates.