Field-gradient-induced birefringence in dilute solutions of furan, thiophen and selenophen in cyclohexane

Abstract

Measurements of the infinite-dilution molar field-gradient birefringence constants, Kerr constants and Cotton–Mouton constants of furan, thiophen and selenophen as solutes in cyclohexane at 298 K and 632.8 nm are reported. Analysis of the observations, in conjunction with other known electric and magnetic properties of these molecules, yields for each the out-of-plane component of the quadrupole moment relative to the effective-quadrupole-centre. Combination of these results with centre-of-mass quadrupole moments from microwave Zeeman spectroscopic studies leads to low-precision estimates of the position of the effective-quadrupole-centre and of the relevant combination of elements of the A and G′ tensors.