Fourteen complexes of N-methylmorpholine betaine (MMBet) with phenols (pK(a) from 9.99 to 0.33) are synthesized and analysed by H-1 and C-13 NMR in DMSO-d(6) and UV-Vis spectroscopy in CH2Cl2, CH3CN and DMSO. The UV spectra of complexes with medium-strong phenols show separate absorptions for A-HE and A-(HB)-B-... species. The prototropic equilibrium is also confirmed by sigmoidal plots of proton and carbon chemical shifts of the N+CH2 group versus pK(a) values of phenols. The effects of solvent polarity and excess of base on an acid-base equilibrium are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.