4-Methoxy-N-methyl-1, 8-naphthalimide (1) exhibits considerable solvatochromism and its UV–vis spectral properties have been studied in several polar/non-polar and protic/aprotic solvents, as well as in ethanol–water mixtures. The results reveal a strong influence of the solvent's polarity and its hydrogen-bond donor (HBD) capability on the photophysical properties of 1. For binary ethnaol/water mixtures, preferential solvation models describe ...