Micellar Catalysis of Composite Reactions—The Effect of SDS Micelles and Premicelles on the Alkaline Fading of Crystal Violet and Malachite Green

Abstract

ABSTRACT The effect of SDS micelles and premicelles on the reversible alkaline fading reactions of crystal violet and malachite green were studied. Micellar and premicellar catalysis models for 1-1 type reversible reactions were proposed. The rate constants of forward and backward reactions and equilibrium constants of these reversible alkaline fading reactions in SDS micellar solutions were obtained from a micellar catalytic model. Under the premicellar condition the average number of SDS molecules per substrate molecule with n surfactant molecules was obtained from a premicellar catalytic model. The results indicated that both SDS micelles and premicelles exhibited an inhibiting effect on the forward reaction, while they exhibited an accelerating effect on the backward reaction. These results can reasonably be accounted for in terms of electrostatic interactions.