Liquid–Liquid Equilibria for 2‑Phenylethan-1-ol + Alkane Systems

The liquid–liquid equilibrium (LLE) curves for 2-phenylethan-1-ol (2-phenylethanol, 2PhEtOH) + octane, + decane, + dodecane, + tetradecane or + 2,2,4-trimethylpentane have been determined by a method of turbidimetry using a laser scattering technique. Experimental results reveal that the systems are characterized by an upper critical solution temperature (UCST), which increases linearly with the number of C atoms of the n-alkane. In addition, the LLE curves have a rather horizontal top and become skewed to higher mole fractions of the n-alkane, when its size increases. For a given n-alkane, UCST decreases as follows: phenol > phenylmethanol > 2-PhEtOH, indicating that dipolar interactions decrease in the same sequence. This has been ascribed to a weakening in the same order of the proximity effects between the phenyl and OH groups of the aromatic alkanols. DISQUAC interaction parameters for OH/aliphatic and OH/aromatic contacts in the investigated systems are reported. Phenol, or phenylmethanol or 2-PhEtOH, + n-alkane mixtures only differ by the first dispersive Gibbs energy interaction parameter for the (OH/aliphatic) contact.