Photoreduction of methylviologen in organized molecular assemblies: role of the surfactant headgroup

Abstract

The photoreduction yield of methylviologen in the presence of a wide variety of counterions in frozen aqueous solutions was measured using electron spin resonance at 77 K. The signal intensity was also measured in frozen micellar and vesicular suspensions. By precipitating out the chloride counterion with silver perchlorate, it is shown that MV{sup 2+} appears to engage in photoinduced electron transfer with the surfactant headgroups. 36 refs., 4 figs.