Fluorescence studies on local density change in supercritical CO2 mixtures using the order parameter model

Supercritical CO2 has many unusual physicochemical properties in or near the critical region, which is mostly due to the local density enhancements and specific molecular interactions. Compared to pure CO2, the study on CO2 mixed with co-solvent is attractive in wide applications but it is hard to quantitatively describe the local density change and intermolecular clusters in CO2 mixtures. The fluorescence response of a sensitive pyrene probe, empirical Py scale, was determined in CO2 mixed with pentane at 323.15 K in different phase regions. A variable called the order parameter was introduced to account for possible correlations in the first derivative of Py scale and fluid pressure (dPy/(d(P/P0 − 1))). This model, avoiding the hard choice of the reference line in CO2 mixtures, was effective in calculating the local density change and it showed the specific molecular interaction in the critical region. The behaviors of the local density change and the isothermal compressibility of supercritical CO2 mixtures correlated well with microscopic and macroscopic observations.

Graphical abstractFigure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slideResearch highlights▶ A new indicator of dPy/(d(P/P0 − 1)) was proposed to calculate the local density change in SC CO2 mixtures. ▶ Local density enhancement changed significantly in SC CO2 mixtures critical region. ▶ KT and dPy/(d(P/P0 − 1)) had similar behavior to interpret the characteristics of SC CO2 mixtures.