Shape and Electrostatic Effects in Optical Kerr Effect Spectroscopy of Aromatic Liquids

We present a detailed, temperature-dependent, optical Kerr effect (OKE) study of pyridine, pyridine-d₅, 2,4,6-trifluoropyridine, 2,4,6-trimethylpyridine, and 1,3,5-tris(trifluoromethyl)benzene. By combining these data with those for other aromatic liquids that we have studied previously (Loughnane, B. J.; Scodinu, A.; Fourkas J. T. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2006, 110, 5708), we are able to assess the relative importance of molecular shape and electrostatic forces in determining the form of the OKE reduced spectral density for such liquids.