Solvent effects on the spectroscopic properties of 4-hexylresorcinol

A study was made on the spectroscopic properties of 4-hexylresorcinol (4HR) in several solvents at room temperature. Absorption and emission spectra were slightly affected by solvent polarity. Stokes' shifts were small (approximately 3000 cm(-1)) and the fluorescence quantum yields varied between 0.05 and 0.68, depending on the solvent. The spectral shifts were correlated with different solvent scales. Multiple regression analysis indicates that both non-specific solute-solvent interactions as well as specific solute-solvent interactions (such as hydrogen bonding) play an important role in the position of the Stokes' shift and on the fluorescence quantum yield in the solvents under study.