Specific solvation of a 4-DASPI dye in a water–ethylene glycol binary solvent

Solvatochromic shifts of the absorption spectra maxima of the dye 4-DASPI (4- [4- (dimethylamino) styryl] -1-methylpyridinium iodide) in a binary solvent water-ethyleneglycol in the concentration range 0–100% were experimentally investigated. The dependence of the solvatochromic shift on the macroscopic dielectric constant of the solution and the concentration of ethyleneglycol was determined. The Onsager-Liptay model was used for the theoretical interpretation of the experimental data. It made it possible to estimate the effective dielectric constant in the microscopic area that contacts with dye chromophore taking into account the measured solvatochromic shifts. It was found that the value of the dielectric constant in the solvation shell of this dye differs significantly from the macroscopic value. The solvation shell is significantly enriched by ethyleneglycol (preferential solvation) over the components' concentration range. The enrichment reaches its maximum approximately in the middle of this range. The composition of the dye solvation shell at different concentration is discussed.