Abstract Absorption and emission spectra ( 1 L b and 1 L a bands) of benzene, naphthalene, anthracene and tetracene were measured in six perfluoroalkanes (PF), six alkanes and a few of their derivatives. The solvent spectral shift (SSS) resulting from dispersion interactions of aromatic hydrocarbons with PF may be described by expressions derived for macroscopic dielectric cavity models. Reasons for the inconsistency between those expressions and the SSS for aromatic hydrocarbon-alkane systems are discussed. The role of repulsion, specific, and higher-order solute-solvent interactions, as well as solute and solvent structures, in SSS are discussed. A similarity between PF and argon with respect to their interactions with aromatic hydrocarbons is pointed out.