Solvatochromism and the solvation structure of benzophenone

Many complex molecular phenomena, including macromolecular association, protein folding, and chemical reactivity, are determined by the nuances of their electrostatic landscapes. The measurement of such electrostatic effects is nonetheless difficult, and is typically accomplished by exploiting a spectroscopic probe within the system of interest, such as through the vibrational Stark effect. Raman spectroscopy and solvatochromism afford an alternative to this method, circumventing the limitations of infrared spectroscopy, providing a lower detection limit, and permitting measurement in a native chemical environment. To explore this possibility, the solvatochromism of the C=O and aromatic C-H stretching modes of benzophenone are investigated using Raman spectroscopy. In conjunction with density functional theory calculations, these observations are sufficient to determine the probe electrostatic environment as well as contributions from halogen and hydrogen bonding. Further analysis using a detailed Kubo-Anderson lineshape model permits the detailed assignment of distinct hydrogen bonding configurations for water in the benzophenone solvation shell. These observations reinforce the use of benzophenone as an effective electrostatic probe for complex chemical systems.