Determination of Dipole Moment, Polarizability and Molar Polarizability of Sodium Benzoate in Solvents of Varying Polarities.

The study focused on determining the dipole moment, polarizability, and molar polarizability of sodium benzoate in various solvents, including ethanol, ethyl acetate, n-hexane, and distilled water. Despite extensive research on the theoretical aspects of molecular properties, there is a noticeable gap in experimental data concerning the impact of solvent polarity on the electronic properties of ionic compounds like sodium benzoate. The objectives are to prepare homogeneous sodium benzoate solutions, measure the refractive index using an Abbe refractometer, calculate relative permittivity and molar polarizability, and analyze the influence of solvent polarity on these properties. The experimental procedure involved dissolving sodium benzoate in the solvents, measuring the refractive index at various temperatures, and using Maxwell's and Debye equations to calculate the required properties. The results showed that sodium benzoate exhibits higher dipole moments and molar polarizabilities in polar solvents, with a clear inverse relationship between temperature and molar polarizability. As the temperature increases, the molar polarizability decreases, indicating reduced molecular alignment with the electric field. The study concluded that solvent polarity significantly influences the dipole moment and polarizability of sodium benzoate, with polar solvents enhancing these properties. The experimental data obtained fill a gap in the literature, providing valuable insights into solute-solvent interactions in solution chemistry.