The influence of hydrogen bonds and preferential solvation on spectroscopic properties of methyl p-dimethylaminobenzoate and its ortho derivative in binary solvent mixture

► Both non-specific and specific (hydrogen bond) interactions contribute to the observed solvatochromism. ► Relatively large fraction of the dye molecules is hydrogen-bonded to the water molecules, even at a relatively low H2O mole fraction. ► The hydrogen-bond complexes of the molecules under study break up at higher temperatures.