On the determination of polarity parameters of silica by means of solvatochromic probe dyes

Empirical solvent parameters of silica surfaces are determined by means of solvatochromic dyes, e.g., Cu(tmen) (acac)⁺ ClO₄^–/B(C₆H₅)₄^–, Fe(phen)₂(CN)₂, and Michlers Ketone dissolved in 1,2-dichloroethane or cyclohexane. The values obtained by UV/VIS-measurements are compared with both the polarity scales of Kamlet and Taft and with Gutmann's donor and acceptor numbers. Kamlet and Taft's -parameter (the hydrogen-bond donation capacity of a solvent) is determined independently by means of salicylideneaniline. The ^* of silica is determined using 5-N,N-dimethylamino-5-nitro-2,2-bithiophene and the complex of tetracyanoethylene with Michlers Ketone, respectively. Further on the reliabilities of the obtained Kamlet-Taft parameters , , and ^* are checked by comparism with experimental and calculated values of theE_T(30)-parameter of silica by means of multi-parameter regression analysis. The surface properties of silica are influenced mainly by HBD-properties (75%) and dipolarity/polarizability ^* (20%), but hardly by the HBA-properties (<5%). UV/VIS-measurements were carried out in a special equipment with glass fiber optics, A drawing of the apparatus is given.