Molecular polarisability. The conformations of diphenyl ketone, dimesityl ketone, and mesityl phenyl ketone as solutes

Abstract

Dipole moments and molar Kerr constants (×10¹²) are recorded for diphenyl ketone (2·98 D, +126), dimesityl ketone (2·84 D, –202), and mesityl phenyl ketone (2·97 D, –165) as solutes in carbon tetrachloride at 25°. For diphenyl ketone and dimesityl ketone the experimental results are consistent with the presence of antisymmetric (C₂) solute species in which the effective conformational angles between the planes of the aromatic rings and the C–CO–C plane are 42 and 61°, respectively. Possible conformations of mesityl phenyl ketone are discussed.