Preferential Solvation and Solvatochromic Parameters in Mixtures of Poly(ethylene glycol)-400 with Some Molecular Organic Solvents

Polyethylene glycols have become more popular alternate reaction media due to interesting properties like non-toxicity, bio-degradability, and full miscibility with water and organic solvents. Binary mixtures of polyethylene glycols with common solvents can be useful to tune their physical and chemical properties and to facilitate chemical and physical processes. In this study, solvatochromic parameters were spectrophotometrically determined for binary solvent mixtures of poly(ethylene glycol)-400 (PEG-400) with methanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, dimethyl sulfoxide, N,N-Dimethylformamide, and dichloromethane under ambient conditions, over the whole range of mole fractions. The solvatochromic parameters showed different trends in protic and aprotic solvents mixed with PEG-400. Methanol/PEG-400 mixtures showed special properties in polarity and polarizability so that the mixtures are more dipolar/polarizable than their pure components. Positive or negative deviations from ideal behavior confirmed that the indicators were involved in a preferential solvation process in the solvent mixtures. These deviations from ideality can be attributed to strong solvent–solvent interactions in the binary mixtures.