Molecular polarisability. The molar Kerr constants and anisotropic polarisabilities of certain aromatic nitro-compounds

Abstract

Molar Kerr constants (×10^–12) are reported for nitrobenzene (938), 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (39·1), nitromesitylene (727), 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (146), trinitromesitylene (-23·0), 1,4-dichloro-2-nitrobenzene (522), mesitylene (13·5), and durene (20·2), as solutes in benzene, and for toluene (13·7), mesitylene (11·5), and hexamethylbenzene (18·4) as solutes in carbon tetrachloride. The polarisability tensor specifications are derived for certain basic structural groups and used to calculate the anisotropic polarisabilities of the C–NO₂ group in various environments. The results are shown to be generally in accord with predictions based on the operative electromeric and steric effects.