Solute-Solvent Interactions in Water-Organic Liquid Solutions Studied by Optical Kerr Effect

Abstract

Kerr constant, describing microscopic properties of the medium, is a very sensitive indicator of molecular interactions and molecular associations in liquids and solutions. The use of water as a solvent for the measurement of electric Kerr effect poses some problems related mainly with water conductivity. These difficulties can be overcome by electrodeless application of the electric field, that is by using an electric field of optical frequency from a powerful laser beam. In that case optical birefringence (high frequency Kerr effect) referred to as optical Kerr effect (OKE) takes place. The concentration and temperature dependence of the OKE in different solutions has been studied, particularly in alcohols in the nanosecond time domain [1, 2]. In this paper we report results of the investigations of the concentration and temperature dependence of optically induced birefringence in water solution of methanol, ethanol, n-propanol and acetone at the wavelength 488.0 nm. From these data, the anisotropic factors, optical anisotropy and orientation function were calculated and some conclusions concerning molecular interactions in these system were drawn.