Bathochromic shift


Bathochromic shift is a change of spectral band position in the absorption, reflectance, transmittance, or emission spectrum of a molecule to a longer wavelength. Because the red color in the visible spectrum has a longer wavelength than most other colors, the effect is also commonly called a red shift.
Hypsochromic shift is a change to shorter wavelength.

Conditions

It can occur because of a change in environmental conditions: for example, a change in solvent polarity will result in solvatochromism.
A series of structurally-related molecules in a substitution series can also show a bathochromic shift. Bathochromic shift is a phenomenon seen in molecular spectra, not atomic spectra; it is thus more common to speak of the movement of the peaks in the spectrum rather than lines.

Detection

Bathochromic shift is typically demonstrated using a spectrophotometer, colorimeter, or spectroradiometer.