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SolventSelector

Solvent UV cutoff table

The UV cutoff is the wavelength at which a solvent's own absorbance reaches 1 AU in a 1 cm cell — run UV detection above it. Sorted lowest (most UV-transparent) first.

Compiled by Hemant RawatLast reviewed July 2026How we verify

SolventUV cutoff (nm)Good for UV detection?
Acetonitrile190Excellent (deep UV)
n-Pentane190Excellent (deep UV)
Water190Excellent (deep UV)
n-Hexane195Excellent (deep UV)
Cyclohexane200Excellent (deep UV)
n-Heptane200Excellent (deep UV)
2-Propanol205Excellent (deep UV)
Methanol205Excellent (deep UV)
1-Propanol210Excellent (deep UV)
Ethanol210Excellent (deep UV)
MTBE210Excellent (deep UV)
Tetrahydrofuran212Usable above cutoff
1,4-Dioxane215Usable above cutoff
Iso-octane215Usable above cutoff
n-Butanol215Usable above cutoff
Diethyl ether218Usable above cutoff
1,2-Dichloroethane228Usable above cutoff
Acetic acid230Usable above cutoff
Dichloromethane233Usable above cutoff
Chloroform245Usable above cutoff
tert-Butanol245Usable above cutoff
n-Butyl acetate254Poor — high cutoff
Ethyl acetate256Poor — high cutoff
Carbon tetrachloride263Poor — high cutoff
Dimethyl sulfoxide265Poor — high cutoff
N,N-Dimethylformamide268Poor — high cutoff
N,N-Dimethylacetamide270Poor — high cutoff
Benzene280Poor — high cutoff
N-Methylpyrrolidone285Poor — high cutoff
Toluene285Poor — high cutoff
Methyl ethyl ketone329Poor — high cutoff
Acetone330Poor — high cutoff
Pyridine330Poor — high cutoff
Methyl isobutyl ketone334Poor — high cutoff

What the UV cutoff means

Every solvent absorbs some UV light. The UV cutoff is the wavelength at which a pure solvent's absorbance reaches 1 absorbance unit through a 1 cm path (with water in the reference cell). Below that wavelength, the solvent absorbs so much that it masks your analyte's signal — so you should detect above the cutoff of every solvent in your mobile phase.

For low-wavelength work (e.g. 210 nm), acetonitrile (~190 nm) is the cleanest common choice, then methanol (~205 nm). Ketones like acetone (~330 nm) and aromatics like toluene (~284 nm) block most useful UV. Remember the mobile phase's cutoff is set by its highest-cutoff component, buffer and additives included.

Sources

Values are compiled from public references and were last verified July 2026. See ourmethodologyfor how we source and verify. Always confirm critical values against primary references and the SDS.