Ultrasonic and IR study of intermolecular association through hydrogen bonding in ternary liquid mixtures

Complex formation in ternary liquid mixtures of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) with phenol and o-cresol in carbontetrachloride has been studied by measuring ultrasonic velocity at 2 MHz, in the concentration range of 0.019-0.162 (in mole fraction of DMSO) at varying temperatures of 20, 30 and 40 degrees C. Using measured values of ultrasonic velocity, other parameters such as adiabatic compressibility, intermolecular free length, molar sound velocity, molar compressibility, specific acoustic impedance and molar volume have been evaluated. These parameters have been utilized to study the solute-solute interactions in these systems. The ultrasonic velocity shows a maxima and adiabatic compressibility a corresponding minima as a function of concentration for these mixtures. The results indicate the occurrence of complex formation between unlike molecules through intermolecular hydrogen bonding between oxygen atom of DMSO molecule and hydrogen atom of phenol and o-cresol molecules. The excess values of adiabatic compressibility and intermolecular free length have also been evaluated. The variation of both these parameters with concentration also indicates the possibility of the complex formation in these systems. Further, to investigate the presence of O-HO bond complexes and the strength of molecular association with concentrations, the infrared spectra of both the systems, DMSO-phenol and DMSO-o-cresol, have been recorded for various concentrations at room temperature (20 degrees C). The results obtained using infrared spectroscopy for both the systems also support the occurrence of complex formation through intermolecular hydrogen bonding in these ternary liquid mixtures.