Search Results (14)

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) are regarded as highly promising solvent systems for redox flow batteries. DESs, composed of choline halides (ChX, X = F⁻, Cl⁻, Br⁻, I⁻) and ethylene glycol (EG), exhibit distinct physicochemical properties at their eutectic points, including halide-dependent phase behavior, viscosity, polarity, conductivity, and solvation dynamics. In this study, we investigate the effects of the halide identity on the solvation properties of ChX:EG mixtures at varying mol % of ChX salt content. The solvatochromic polarity based on E_T(30) measurements indicates higher polarity for larger halides (I⁻ > Br⁻) than for smaller halides (Cl⁻ > F⁻), which exhibit larger compensating solvation shells. The ionic conductivity follows the trend of the solvent fluidity (the inverse of the viscosity), namely ChCl > ChBr > ChI > ChF, influenced by the ion mobility and solvodynamic radii. Measurements of the liquidus temperatures (T_L) reveal that the system with ChCl exhibits the deepest eutectic point (at ~20 mol % ChCl), while ChBr and ChI have shallower minima at ~10 mol % ChBr and ~3 mol % ChI, respectively. ChF does not display a eutectic transition but instead appears to readily supercool at salt concentrations above 30 mol % ChF. Consistent with the phase transition measurements, femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy shows that in the ChCl system, the solvation dynamics become faster with an increasing salt concentration up to ~16.67 mol %, after which the dynamics slow down with further increases in the salt content. The ChF-based system exhibits similar behavior, though with slower dynamics. In contrast, the solvation dynamics of the systems containing ChBr and ChI monotonously slow down with an increasing salt concentration, in agreement with the phase transition measurements, which show that the eutectic points occur at low salt concentrations. These measurements suggest that the solvent composition and, in particular, the identity of the halide anion play a significant role in the solvation behavior of these ethylene-glycol-based DESs, offering a foundation for tuning the DES properties for specific applications. Full article

This study aimed to determine the structure–function relationship (SFR) for ChCl–glycerol mixtures, a deep eutectic solvent (DES), by investigating their microscopic solvation dynamics and how it relates to their macroscopic properties across varying concentrations of ChCl. Femtosecond transient absorption (fs-TA) spectroscopy revealed two distinct solvation dynamics time constants: τ₁, governed by glycerol–glycerol interactions, and τ₂, dominated by the choline response. The τ₂ minimum at 25–30 mol % ChCl closely aligned with the eutectic composition (~33.33 mol % ChCl), where the glycerol network was the most organized and the choline ions exhibited the fastest relaxation. The viscosity decreased sharply up to ~25 mol % ChCl and then plateaued, while the conductivity increased monotonically with ChCl concentration, reflecting enhanced ionic mobility. The density decreased with both increasing ChCl concentration and temperature, indicating disrupted hydrogen bonding and reduced molecular packing. The polarity, measured using betaine-30 (B30) and the E_T(30) polarity scale, increased steeply up to approximately 25 mol % ChCl before reaching a plateau. These findings identified the eutectic composition as the optimal concentration range for balancing stability, fluidity, conductivity, and enhanced dynamics within the glycerol system. Full article

After a survey on polymer plasticization theories and conventional criteria to evaluate polymer–plasticizer compatibility through the solubility parameter, an attempt to create a polymer–plasticizer polarity scale through solvatochromic dyes has been made. Since Reichardt’s E_T(30) dye is insoluble in rubber hydrocarbon polymers like polyisoprene, polybutadiene and styrene–butadiene copolymers and is not useful for the evaluation of the hydrocarbons and ester plasticizers, the Nile Red solvatochromic dye was instead used extensively and successfully for this class of compounds. A total of 53 different compounds were evaluated with the Nile Red dye and wherever possible also with Reichardt’s E_T(33) dye. A very good correlation was then found between the Nile Red scale E(NR) and Reichardt’s E_T(30) scale for this class of compounds focusing on diene rubbers and their typical hydrocarbons and new ester plasticizers. Furthermore, the E(NR) scale also shows a reasonable correlation with the total solubility parameter calculated according to the Van Krevelen method. Based on the above results, some conclusion was made about the compatibility between the diene rubbers and the conventional plasticizers, as well as a new and green plasticizer proposed for the rubber compounds. Full article

The UV/Vis absorption energies (ν_max) of different solvatochromic probes measured in co-solvent/water mixtures are re-analyzed as a function of the average molar concentration (N_av) of the solvent composition compared to the use of the mole fraction. The empirical E_T(30) parameter of Reichardt’s dye B30 is the focus of the analysis. The Marcus classification of aqueous solvent mixtures is a useful guide for co-solvent selection. Methanol, ethanol, 1,2-ethanediol, 2-propanol, 2-methyl-2-propanol, 2-butoxyethanol, formamide, N-methylformamide (NMF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N-formylmorpholine (NFM), 1,4-dioxane and DMSO were considered as co-solvents. The E_T(30) values of the binary solvent mixtures are discussed in relation to the physical properties of the co-solvent/water mixtures in terms of quantitative composition, refractive index, thermodynamics of the mixture and the non-uniformity of the mixture. Significant linear dependencies of E_T(30) as a function of N_av can be demonstrated for formamide/water, 1,2-ethanediol/water, NMF/water and DMSO/water mixtures over the entire compositional range. These mixtures belong to the group of solvents that do not enhance the water structure according to the Marcus classification. The influence of the solvent microstructure on the non-linearity E_T(30) as a function of N_av is particularly clear for alcohol/water mixtures with an enhanced water structure. Full article

Following previous studies, the ternary mixture of methanol/formamide/acetonitrile (MeOH/Formamide/MeCN) was studied using the UV-Vis absorption spectra at 298.15 K with a set of five probes, 4-nitroaniline, 4-nitroanisole, 4-nitrophenol, N,N-dimethyl-4-nitroaniline and 2,6-diphenyl-4-(2,4,6-triphenyl-1-pyridinio)phenolate (Reichardt betaine dye), for a total of 22 mole ternary fractions. In addition, nine mole fractions of the underling binary mixtures, MeOH/Formamide and Formamide/MeCN were also tested. Spectroscopic results were used to model the preferential solvation order for each probe in the mixtures. The Kamlet–Taft solvatochromic solvent parameters, α, β, and π*, were also computed through the use of the solvatochromic shifts of the five probe indicators. Moreover, discrepancies in the spectroscopic behavior of 4-nitrophenol in formamide-rich mixtures were observed and analyzed. Full article

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have emerged as novel alternatives to common solvents and VOCs. Their employment as electrolytes in batteries has been an area of intense research. In this context, understanding changes in the physicochemical properties of DESs in the presence of Li salts becomes of utmost importance. Solvatochromic probes have the potential to gauge such changes. It is reported herein that one such UV–vis molecular absorbance probe, Reichardt’s betaine dye 33, effectively manifests changes taking place in a DES Glyceline composed of H-bond accepting salt choline chloride and H-bond donor glycerol in a 1:2 molar ratio, as salt LiCl is added. The lowest energy intramolecular charge–transfer absorbance band of this dye exhibits a 17 nm hypsochromic shift as up to 3.0 molal LiCl is added to Glyceline. The estimated $E_T^N$ parameter shows a linear increase with the LiCl mole fraction. Spectroscopic responses of betaine dye 33, N,N-diethyl-4-nitroaniline and 4-nitroaniline are used to assess empirical Kamlet–Taft parameters of dipolarity/polarizability (${\pi }^{*}$), H-bond-donating acidity (α) and H-bond-accepting basicity ($\beta$) as a function of LiCl concentration in Glyceline. LiCl addition to Glyceline results in an increase in α and no change in ${\pi }^{*}$ and $\beta$. It is proposed that the added lithium interacts with the oxygen of the –OH functionalities on the glycerol rendering of the solvent with increased H-bond-donating acidity. It is observed that pyrene, a popular fluorescence probe of solvent polarity, does respond to the addition of LiCl to Glyceline, however, the change in pyrene response starts to become noticeable only at higher LiCl concentrations ($m_{\mathrm{L}\mathrm{i}\mathrm{C}\mathrm{l}}$ ≥ 1.5 m). Reichardt’s betaine dye is found to be highly sensitive and versatile in gauging the physicochemical properties of DESs in the presence of LiCl. Full article

This article summarizes a series of seventeen publications by the authors devoted to molecular dynamics modeling of various indicator dyes (molecular probes) enclosed in surfactant micelles. These dyes serve as generally recognized tools for studying various types of organized solutions, among which surfactant micelles in water are the simplest and most explored. The modeling procedure involves altogether 50 to 95 surfactant molecules, 16 to 28 thousand water molecules, and a single dye molecule. The presentation of the simulation results was preceded by a brief review of the state of experimental studies. This article consists of three parts. First, despite numerous literature data devoted to modeling the micelles itself, we decided to revisit this issue. The structure and hydration of the surface of micelles of surfactants, first of all of sodium n-dodecylsulfate, SDS, and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, CTAB, were studied. The values of the electrical potential, Ψ, were estimated as functions of the ionic strength and distance from the surface. The decrease in the Ψ value with distance is gradual. Attempts to consider both DS⁻ and CTA⁺ micelles in water without counterions result in a decay into two smaller aggregates. Obviously, the hydrophobic interaction (association) of the hydrocarbon tails balances the repulsion of the charged headgroups of these small “bare” micelles. The second part is devoted to the study of seven pyridinium N-phenolates, known as Reichardt’s dyes, in ionic micelles. These most powerful solvatochromic indicators are now used for examining various colloidal systems. The localization and orientation of both zwitterionic and (colorless) cationic forms are generally consistent with intuitive ideas about the hydrophobicity of substituents. Hydration has been quantitatively described for both the dye molecule as a whole and the oxygen atom. A number of markers, including the visible absorption spectra of Reichardt’s dyes, enable assuming a better hydration of the micellar surface of SDS than that of CTAB. However, our data show that it is more correct to speak about the more pronounced hydrogen-bonding ability of water molecules in anionic micelles than about better hydration of the SDS micelles as compared to CTAB ones. Finally, a set of acid–base indicators firmly fixed in the micellar pseudophase were studied by molecular dynamics. They are instruments for estimating electrostatic potentials of micelles and related aggregates as Ψ$=\hspace{0.17em}2.303RT{F}^{-1}\hspace{0.17em}\left(\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{i}}\hspace{0.17em}-\hspace{0.17em}\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{app}}\right)$, where $\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{i}}$ and $\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{app}}$ are indices of so-called intrinsic and apparent dissociation constants. In this case, in addition to the location, orientation, and hydration, the differences between values of $\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{app}}$ and indices of the dissociation constants in water were estimated. Only a semi-quantitative agreement with the experimental data was obtained. However, the differences between $\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{app}}$ of a given indicator in two micellar solutions do much better agree with the experimental data. Accordingly, the experimental Ψ values of ionic micelles, as determined using the $\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{app}}$ in nonionic micelles as $\mathrm{p}{K}_{\mathrm{a}}^{\mathrm{i}}$, are reproduced with reasonable accuracy for the corresponding indicator. However, following the experimental data, a scatter of the Ψ values obtained with different indicators for given micelles is observed. This problem may be the subject of further research. Full article

The concept of “solvent polarity” is widely used to explain the effects of using different solvents in various scientific applications. However, a consensus regarding its definition and quantitative measure is still lacking, hindering progress in solvent-based research. This study hopes to add to the conversation by presenting the development of two linear regression models for solvent polarity, based on Reichardt’s E_T(30) solvent polarity scale, using Abraham solvent parameters and a transformer-based model for predicting solvent polarity directly from molecular structure. The first linear model incorporates the standard Abraham solvent descriptors s, a, b, and the extended model ionic descriptors j⁺ and j⁻, achieving impressive test-set statistics of R² = 0.940 (coefficient of determination), MAE = 0.037 (mean absolute error), and RMSE = 0.050 (Root-Mean-Square Error). The second model, covering a more extensive chemical space but only using the descriptors s, a, and b, achieves test-set statistics of R² = 0.842, MAE = 0.085, and RMSE = 0.104. The transformer-based model, applicable to any solvent with an associated SMILES string, achieves test-set statistics of R² = 0.824, MAE = 0.066, and RMSE = 0.095. Our findings highlight the significance of Abraham solvent parameters, especially the dipolarity/polarizability, hydrogen-bond acidity/basicity, and ionic descriptors, in predicting solvent polarity. These models offer valuable insights for researchers interested in Reichardt’s E_T(30) solvent polarity parameter and solvent polarity in general. Full article

New fluorescent dyes containing an assembled 1,4-dihydroazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazine (DAT) core and an isoxazole ring were synthesized through a reaction between diazopyrazole or diazoimidazoles and isoxazolyl-derived enamines in mild conditions. The photophysical characteristics (maxima absorption and emission, Stokes shifts, fluorescent quantum yields, and fluorescence lifetimes) of the new fluorophores were obtained. The prepared DATs demonstrated emission maxima ranging within 433–487 nm, quantum yields within 6.1–33.3%, and a large Stokes shift. The photophysical characteristics of representative DAT examples were studied in ten different solvents. Specific (hydrogen bonds) and non-specific (dipole–dipole) intermolecular and intramolecular interactions were analyzed using XRD data and spectral experiments. Solvatochromism was analyzed using Lippert–Mataga and Dimroth–Reichardt plots, revealing the relationship between the DAT structure and the nature of solute–solvent interactions. The significant advantages of DATs are the fluorescence of their powders (QY up to 98.7%). DAT-NMe₂ 10 expressed bright aggregation-induced emission (AIE) behavior in DMSO and THF as the water content increased. The numerous possible variations of the structures of the heterocycles included in the DATs, as well as substituents, create excellent prospects for adjusting their photophysical and physicochemical properties. Full article

Solvatochromic probes are often used to understand solvation environments at the molecular scale. In the case of ionic liquids constituted by an anion and a cation, which are designed and paired in order to obtain a low melting point and other desirable physicochemical properties, these two indivisible components can interact in a very different way with the probe. This is the case with one of the most common probes: Reichardt’s Dye. In the cases where the positive charge of the cation is delocalized on an aromatic ring such as imidazolium, the antibonding orbitals of the positively charged aromatic system are very similar in nature and energy to the LUMO of Reichardt’s Dye. This leads to an interesting, specific cation-probe interaction that can be used to elucidate the nature of the ionic liquids’ cations. Parallel computational and experimental investigations have been conducted to elucidate the nature of this interaction with respect to the molecular structure of the cation. Full article

The paper presents a new method for evaluating the polarity and hydrophobicity of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) based on the measurement of the DES contact angle on glass. DESs consisting of benzoic acid derivatives and quaternary ammonium chlorides–tetrabutylammonium chloride (TBAC) and benzyldimethylhexadecylammonium chloride (16-BAC)—in selected molar ratios were chosen for the study. To investigate the DESs polarity, an optical goniometer and an $E_T\left(30\right)$ solvatochromic scale based on Reichardt’s dye were used. The research demonstrated the high accuracy and precision of the developed procedure. The simplicity of the examination and the availability of basic equipment allow for the implementation of the developed method in routine investigations of DESs. Full article

A series of N-methyl quaternized derivatives of poly(4-vinylpyridine) (PVP) were synthesized in high yields with different degrees of quaternization, obtained by varying the methyl iodide molar ratio and affording products with unexplored optical and solvation properties. The impact of quaternization on the physicochemical properties of the copolymers, and notably the solvation properties, was further studied. The structure of the synthesized polymers and the quaternization degrees were determined by infrared and nuclear magnetic spectroscopies, while their thermal characteristics were studied by differential scanning calorimetry and their thermal stability and degradation by thermogravimetric analysis (TG-DTA). Attention was given to their optical properties, where UV-Vis and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) measurements were carried out. The optical band gap of the polymers was calculated and correlated with the degree of quaternization. The study was further orientated towards the solvation properties of the polymers in binary solvent mixtures that strongly depend on the degree of quaternization, enabling a better understanding of the key polymer (solute)-solvent interactions. The assessment of the underlying solvation phenomena was performed in a system of different ratios of DMSO/H₂O and the solvatochromic indicator used was Reichardt’s dye. Solvent polarity parameters have a significant effect on the visible spectra of the nitrogen quaternization of PVP studied in this work and a detailed path towards this assessment is presented. Full article

We used circular dichroism (CD) to study differences in CD spectra between α-, δ-, and methylated-α-tocopherol in solvents with different polarities. CD spectra of the different tocopherol structures differ from each other in intensity and peak locations, which can be attributed to chromanol substitution and the ability to form hydrogen bonds. In addition, each structure was examined in different polarity solvents using the Reichardt index—a measure of the solvent’s ionizing ability, and a direct measurement of solvent–solute interactions. Differences across solvents indicate that hydrogen bonding is a key contributor to CD spectra at 200 nm. These results are a first step in examining the hydrogen bonding abilities of vitamin E in a lipid bilayer. Full article

In this paper, we proposed an interdigitated capacitor (IDC)-based glucose biosensor to measure different concentrations of glucose from 1 μM to 1 M. We studied four different types of solvatochromic dyes: Auramine O, Nile red, Rhodamine B, and Reichardt’s dye (R-dye). These dyes were individually incorporated into a polymer [polyvinyl chloride (PVC)] and N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC) solution to make the respective dielectric/sensing materials. To the best of our knowledge, we report for the first time an IDC glucose biosensing system utilizing a solvatochromic-dye-containing sensing membrane. These four dielectric or sensing materials were individually placed into the interdigitated electrode (IDE) by spin coating to make four IDC glucose biosensing elements. The proposed IDC glucose biosensor has a high sensing ability over a wide dynamic range and its sensitivity was about 23.32 mV/decade. It also has fast response and recovery times of approximately 7 s and 5 s, respectively, excellent reproducibility with a standard deviation of approximately 0.023, highly stable sensing performance, and real-time monitoring capabilities. The proposed IDC glucose biosensor was compared with an IDC, potentiometric, FET, and fiber-optic glucose sensor with respect to response time, dynamic range width, sensitivity, and linearity. We observed that the designed IDC glucose biosensor offered excellent performance. Full article