SPECTROSCOPICALLY DETERMINED DIELECTRIC-CONSTANTS FOR VARIOUS ESTERS

Polarity of a solvent can be defined by the Onsager function or the De bye function, which both are functions of the static dielectric consta nt. Polarity has also been shown to be related to the solvatochromic s hifts of the absorption and fluorescence spectra. In this study, the e mission maxima of the probe molecule Nile Red were taken in different solvents of known dielectric constants, and relationships between the emission maxima and the Onsager and Debye functions were established. These relationships were used to estimate dielectric constants for var ious environmentally benign esters.