The absorption curves of methyl orange (MO) and analogous p-aminophenylazobenzenes in organic and aqueous organic solvents are shown to consist of two severely overlapping bands. The curves have been resolved into two skewed component bands using a regression method. The blue shift of the absorption maximum obtained when organic solvents are added to aqueous solutions of MO, or when MO is bound to bovine serum albumin or a surfactant micelle, is the result of a change in relative intensities of the component bands. The low-frequency component is assigned to a n, -. nlx transition of a solvate in which there is specific hydrogen-bonding interaction between solvent and the azo nitrogens, and the high-frequency component to a n1 + nl* transition of a solvate in which the interaction is absent. The low-frequency component is favored by aqueous solvent compositions and by low temperatures. The free energies of interconversion of the species in various hydrogen-bonding solvents are correlated by the solvent surface tension but not by the dielectric constant. The results show that the shift in absorption maximum accompanying binding to a protein or micelle should be interpreted as a shift in an equilibrium rather than as a shift in transition energy.Les courbes d'absorption du methylorange (MO) et des p-aminophCnylazobenzenes analogues, en solvants organiques et organiques aqueux, comprennent deux bandes fortement enchevktrees. La resolution de ces courbes en deux bandes gauches elementaires a ete faite par la methode de regression. Le d6placement vers le bleu du nlaxilnuin d'absorption, obtenu par addition de solvants organiques aux solutions aqueuses de MO ou lorsque le MO est lie a l'albumine du serum bovin ou a une micelle surfactive, est le resultat du changement des intensites relatives des bandes composantes. La bande a basse frequence est attribue a la transition n, + nl*, d'un produit de solvatation dans lequel il y a interaction specifique par liaison hydrogene entre le solvant et les azotes de l'azo; la bande a haute frequence correspond a la transition nl + n," du produit de solvatation sans interaction. La bande a basse frequence est favorisee par la composition en eau des solvants et aux basses temperatures. Les energies libres de l'interconversion des diverses especes dans differents solvants a liaison hydrogene, ont ete reliies a la tension superficielle du solvant et non a la constante dielectrique. Les rtsultats montrent que le deplacement du maximum d'absorption consecutif a une liaison a une protkine ou ~nicelle devraient &tre interpretes pluttit comme un deplacement d'equilibre qu'un diplacement de 1'Cnergie de transition.[Traduit par le journal]Can. J. Chem.. 51. 628 (1973) Methyl orange (MO, 1) has been used as a probe for studying the interaction of organic anions with proteins (1-9), synthetic polymers (10, 1 I), polyelectrolytes (12), and surfactants (12-14) in aqueous solution. The interaction is usually accompanied by spectral changes that are not associated with the acid-base indicator p...