Absorption spectrometric study of charge transfer complex formation between 4-acetamidophenol (paracetamol) and a series of quinones including vitamin K3.

The formation of charge transfer (CT) complexes of 4-acetamidophenol (commonly called 'paracetamol') and a series of quinones (including Vitamin K3) has been studied spectrophotometrically in ethanol medium. The vertical ionisation potential of paracetamol and the degrees of charge transfer of the complexes in their ground state has been estimated from the trends in the charge transfer bands. The oscillator and transition dipole strengths of the complexes have been determined from the CT absorption spectra at 298 K. The complexes have been found by Job's method of continuous variation to have the uncommon 2:1 (paracetamol:quinone) stoichiometry in each case. The enthalpies and entropies of formation of the complexes have been obtained by determining their formation constants at five different temperatures.