Benzophenone as a Probe of Local Cosolvent Effects in Supercritical Ethane

Barbara L. Knutson, Steven R. Sherman, Karen L. Bennett, Charles L. Liotta, Charles A. Eckert

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

23 Scopus citations

Abstract

The n → π* shift of benzophenone has been used to quantify solute-cosolvent interactions in supercritical ethane. Dilute solutions of benzophenone in cosolvent/supercritical ethane mixtures were studied at 35°C from 50 to 100 bar over a range of cosolvent concentrations. The following cosolvents were chosen for investigation on the basis of their varying abilities to interact with benzophenone: 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol, ethanol, chloroform, propionitrile, 1,2-dibromoethane, and 1,1,1-trichloroethane. In the supercritical systems investigated here, hydrogen bonding of protic cosolvents to the carbonyl oxygen of benzophenone is the primary mechanism of the n →π* shift. The results of this investigation are consistent with a chemical-physical interpretation of cosolvent effects in supercritical fluids in the presence of strong specific solute-cosolvent interactions. The experimental results for the ethane/TFE/benzophenone system were analyzed by using integral equations in order to study the assumptions of the chemical-physical model. This combination of spectroscopic data with radial distribution function models provides a powerful tool for understanding cosolvent effects.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)854-868
Number of pages15
JournalIndustrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
Volume36
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering
  • Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Benzophenone as a Probe of Local Cosolvent Effects in Supercritical Ethane'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this