On the question of the ratio between diffusion coefficients of radical ions and their parent molecules in solution

The diffusion coefficients of radical ions of hexafluorobenzene, diphenylacetylene, triptycene, and tetraphenylnaphthalene were measured in liquid n-hexane and n-hexadecane at different temperatures. These were compared with the literature values of the diffusion coefficients of the corresponding neutral molecules in these solvents. Typically, the relative change in the diffusion coefficients decreased with increasing the size of particles or the temperature of solutions. No evidence for a specific manifestation of the low solvent polarity in the relative change was observed. In the case of triptycene in hexadecane solution, the enhancement of the solute’s diffusion caused by ionization was found.