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 (∼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.