Multiple Equilibria of Phenothiazine Dyes in Aqueous Cyclodextrin Solutions

Abstract

The dimerization and inclusion complexation equilibria of six phenothiazine (PN) dyes with cyclodextrins (α-, β-, and γ-CDs) in aqueous media have been studied using absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The PN dyes used in this study are thionine (TH), azure A (AZA), methylene blue (MB), toluidine blue (TB), new methylene blue (NMB), and 1,9-dimethylmethylene blue (DMMB). The dimerization constants (KD) of the dyes having two methyl substituents at the phenothiazine ring (NMB and DMMB) are much greater than those of other dyes having unsubstituted rings, and the presence of methyl groups on the amine groups affects little the KD values. The positions of the monomer/dimer equilibria do not change with the presence of α-CD, while the addition of β-CD suppresses and γ-CD enhances the dimerization of the dyes except DMMB. The equilibrium constants for the inclusion complexation of the dye monomers and dimers with CDs are determined from the analysis of the dependence of the absorption spectra of the dye ...