Spectral and photophysical studies of thiazine dyes in triton X-100

The absorption spectra of several thiazine dyes such as thionine, azure A, azure B, azure C and methylene blue in aqueous solution of Triton X-100 show that dyes as electron acceptors form 11 charge-transfer (CT) or electron-donor-acceptor (EDA) complexes with Triton X-100, which acts as an electron donor. From the thermodynamic and spectrophotometric properties of these complexes, the abilities of dyes to accept an electron are in the order: azure C > thionine > azure A > azure B > methylene blue. The photogalvanic effect in the aqueous solution dye-surfactant has been studied. Generation of photovoltage supports a CT or EDA interaction between thiazine dyes and Triton X-100. There is a good correlation among the photophysical (photovoltage), spectral and thermodynamic properties of these complexes.