The study of the effect of simultaneous presence of ether (-O-) and (-OH) groups on the excess thermodynamic properties and the corresponding behaviour of alkoxyethatiols in binary mixtures is of great relevance in understanding the nature of interactions. The IR spectra have been measured for binary mixtures of 2-propoxyethanol, CH3CH2CH2OCH2CH2OH or 2-isopropoxyethanol, (CH3)(2)CHOCH2CH2OH with N,N-dimethyl formamide HCON(CH3)(2), NN-dimethyl acetamide, CH3CON(CH3)(2) 2-pyrrolidinone, CH2(CH2)(2)NHCO and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone, CH2(CH2)(2)N(CH3)co at 298.15 K. The shifts in the C=O and O-H stretch have been used to interpret the excess molar volumes, V-m(E). and excess free energy of activation for viscous flow, Delta G*(E). The effects of the specific interactions on the dependence of these properties on the position of the methyl group in 2-propoxyethanol and 2-isopropoxyethanol and the influence of N,N-disubstituted and cyclic amides have been discussed in the light of IR measurements. (c) 2004 Published by Elsevier B.V.