Determination of the empirical polarity parameter ET(30) for binary solvent mixtures

Empirical solvent polarity parameters ET(30) were determined by UV–visible spectrophotometry using Dimroth– Reichardt's betaine dye, as a function of composition, for (aprotic + aprotic) and (aprotic + protic) binary solvent mixtures. For (aprotic + aprotic) solvent systems the cosolvent was toluene, and the other solvents used were selected with different structural characteristics and an extensive range of polarity: chloroform, 1,4‐dioxane, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, nitromethane and N,N‐dimethylformamide. For (aprotic + protic) solvent systems, the protic cosolvent used was methanol, and the aprotic solvents selected were toluene, chloroform, 1,1,1‐trichloroethane, tetrahydrofuran, acetone, N,N‐dimethylformamide, and dimethyl sulphoxide. Each system was analysed according to its deviations from additivity due to selective solvation of the betaine. A preliminary application of these empirical solvent polarity parameters was related to the solvent effects in a simple example of a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction.