Dependence on molecular parameters of the heat capacity critical behaviour for nitroalkane + alcohol binary systems

Heat capacities per unit volume for a set of nitroalkane + alcohol critical mixtures near their upper consolute point are presented. The selected nitroalkanes were nitromethane and nitroethane whereas the 1-alcohol series from 1-propanol to 1-decanol was studied. The critical anomaly of nitroalkane + non-primary alcohols was also investigated; 2-propanol, 2-pentanol, 3-pentanol and 5-nonanol were chosen to this end. The heat capacity data are obtained at atmospheric pressure as a function of temperature in the homogeneous and heterogeneous regions by means of a differential scanning calorimeter. The exponent and amplitudes that characterises the observed critical anomaly are determined from experimental data, being their values coherent with previous results. In addition, the critical amplitude of the correlation length was calculated using the universality of the two-scale factor. Finally, the changes in the critical parameters as a function of the molecular structure of both nitroalkane and alcohol are analysed.