Aprotic solvents effect on the UV–visible absorption spectra of bixin

[Display omitted] •We analyze bixin UV–visible changes spectrum in various solvents.•We use Onsager cavity model and Hansen theory to explain bixin–solvent interactions.•The S0→S2 transition energies of bixin depend on the solvent refractive index and dispersion forces.•We report bixin have higher absorption coefficient in aprotic polar solvents. We describe here the effects of aprotic solvents on the spectroscopic characteristics of bixin. Bixin was dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide, acetone, dichloromethane, ethyl acetate, chloroform, dimethyl carbonate, cyclohexane and hexane, separately, and its spectra in the resulting solutions were determined by UV–visible spectrophotometry at normal pressure and room temperature. We analyzed the effect of aprotic solvents on λmax according to Onsager cavity model and Hansen theory, and determined the approximate absorption coefficient with the Beer–Lambert law. We found that the UV–visible absorption spectra of bixin were found to be solvent dependent. The S0→S2 transition energy of bixin in solution was dependent principally on the refractive index of the solvents and the bixin–solvent dispersion interaction. There was a small influence of the solvents dielectric constant, permanent dipole interaction and hydrogen bonding occurred between bixin and solvents. The absorbance of bixin in various solvents, with the exception of hexane, increased linearly with concentration.