Abstract
Background The use of solvatochromic dyes to investigate homeopathic potencies holds out the
promise of understanding the nature of serially succussed and diluted solutions at
a fundamental physicochemical level. Recent studies have shown that a range of different
dyes interact with potencies and, moreover, the nature of the interaction is beginning
to allow certain specific characteristics of potencies to be delineated.
Aims and Methods The study reported in this article takes previous investigations further and aims
to understand more about the nature of the interaction between potencies and solvatochromic
dyes. To this end, the UV-visible spectra of a wide range of potential detectors of
potencies have been examined using methodologies previously described.
Results Results presented demonstrate that solvatochromic dyes are a sub-group of a larger
class of compounds capable of demonstrating interactions with potencies. In particular,
amino acids containing an aromatic bridge also show marked optical changes in the
presence of potencies. Several specific features of molecular detectors can now be
shown to be necessary for significant interactions with homeopathic potencies. These
include systems with a large dipole moment, electron delocalisation, polarizability
and molecular rigidity.
Conclusions Analysis of the optical changes occurring on interaction with potencies suggests
that in all cases potencies increase the polarity of molecular detectors to a degree
that correlates with the size of the compound's permanent or ground dipole moment.
These results can be explained by inferring that potencies themselves have polarity.
Possible candidates for the identity of potencies, based on these and previously reported
results, are discussed.
Keywords solvatochromic dyes - aromatic bridged amino acids - molecular detectors - dipole
moments - homeopathic potencies
