Effects of Surfactants on Hydride Transfer from Methylene Blue Leucodye to 2,5-Dihydroxyl-1,4-benzoquinone in Aqueous Solution

The effects of monomeric surfactants on the hydride transfer from (one electron oxidation of) methylene blue leucodye to (by) 2,5-dihydroxy-1,4-benzoquinone in aqueous solution were investigated at 25°C using a stopped-flow spectrometer. The results indicated that cationic, anionic, and zwitterionic surfactants inhibited the reaction while nonionic surfactant showed no appreciable effect on the reaction. These observations are rationalized by electrostatic factors between surfactant monomer (or micelle) and reactant with charge or the charge transfer complex of the hydride transfer reaction. Above the cmc, the effects are treated quantitatively using a kinetic model.