INTRAMICELLAR QUENCHING OF 2,3-DIMETHYLNAPHTHALENE FLUORESCENCE BY PEROXIDES and HYDROPEROXIDES

Hydrogen peroxide, t -butyl hydroperoxide, di- t -butyl peroxide and dibenzoyl peroxide efficiently quench the fluorescence of 2,3-dimethylnaphthalene incorporated into sodium dodecyl sulfate and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride micelles. Potassium persulfate only is effective when the probe is incorporated into a cationic micelle. The binding constant of the peroxides and the intramiccllar quenching rate constants have been evaluated for all the systems considered and the data are compared to that obtained in homogeneous solution. It is concluded that, even for processes which are not diffusion controlled, the quenching process is slower in the micelles.