Beyond Electrostatic Screening: Effect of Ion Pairing on Acid–Base Equilibria in Complex Electrolyte Solutions

The modulation of acid–base equilibria by salts is fundamental to solution chemistry, yet its molecular origins in multicomponent electrolyte mixtures remain poorly understood. Building on evidence that individual salts induce ion-specific shifts in weak acid p K a values, we combine experiment and constant pH molecular dynamics to investigate how ion pairing and specific ion effects govern the p K a of acetic acid in single and mixed sodium salt solutions. Across anions of varying charge density (sulfate, chloride, iodide), we show that cation–anion association (not electrostatic screening alone) controls the observed p K a shifts. Notably, in mixed sodium chloride–sulfate solutions, the effects on acetic acid p K a deviate from additivity due to complex ion–ion interactions. We introduce an ion-pairing-augmented Debye–Hückel model that quantitatively captures these behaviors, providing a predictive framework for pH control in multisalt environments. This work establishes a mechanistic basis for interpreting and predicting pH-dependent phenomena in complex, real-world systems relevant to biochemistry and soft matter.