UV/Vis Spectral Study of the Self-aggregation of Pinacyanol Chloride in Ethanol–Water Solutions

The concentration dependent self-aggregation of 1,1′-diethyl-2,2′-carbocyanine chloride (pinacyanol chloride dye) in 7.5% (v/v) ethanol + 92.5% water solution in the range of 10−6–10−3 mol⋅dm−3 has been investigated by quantitative UV/vis and derivative spectroscopy. Bands with maxima at 601, 546, 522, and 507 nm could be attributed, respectively, to the monomer, a sandwich-type dimer, a vibronic overtone of the dimer, and a higher aggregate, most probably a stacked trimeric form of the dye. Using the PeakFit program, the overlapping bands were separated and analyzed for all concentrations studied. From the spectral fitting routine, extinction coefficients of 192,000, 156,000, and 282,000 cm−1⋅mol−1⋅dm3 were determined for the monomer, dimer and trimer respectively.