The kinetics of substitution of tris(3-(2-pyridyl)-5,6-bis(4-phenyl-sulfonic acid)-1,2,4-triazine)-iron(II), $$ {\text{Fe}}({\text{PDTS}})_{3}^{4 - } $$ , and tris(3-(4-(4-phenylsulfonic acid)-2-pyridyl)-5,6-bis(4-phenylsulfonic acid)-1,2,4-triazine)-iron(II), $$ {\text{Fe}}({\text{PPDTS}})_{3}^{7 - } $$ , by two polypyridyls, namely 2,2′-bipyridine (bpy) and 2,2′,6′,2″-terpyridine (terpy), have been studied at 25–55 °C under pseudo-first-order conditions, i.e., [ppy] ≫ $$ [{\text{Fe}}({\text{PDTS}})_{3}^{4 - } ] $$ or $$ [{\text{Fe}}({\text{PPDTS}})_{3}^{7 - } ] $$ in acetate buffers over the pH range 3.6–5.6 (ppy = bpy, terpy or phen). The reactions are first order in $$ {\text{Fe}}({\text{PDTS}})_{3}^{4 - } $$ or $$ {\text{Fe}}({\text{PPDTS}})_{3}^{7 - } $$ . The reaction rates increase with [ppy] and pH. Plots of k obs versus [ppy] and 1/[H+] are linear with positive intercepts on the rate axes, indicating that the reactions proceed by both ppy- and hydrogen ion-dependent and independent paths. Ionic strength has no influence on the rate of reaction. Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) catalyzes these substitution processes, including substitution by 1,10–phenanthroline (phen). The micelle-catalyzed reactions essentially follow the same general pattern as the uncatalyzed reactions. Micellar catalysis is ascribed to the binding of the anionic substrate on the surface of the cationic surfactant by hydrophilic and/or electrostatic interactions and significant electrostatic contribution to the binding of the positively charged quaternary ammonium head group to π-electron-rich polypyridyls. Kinetic data have been obtained at three different temperatures, and the specific rate constants (k 1 and k 2) and thermodynamic parameters (E a, ΔS # and ΔG #) have been computed. The binding constants between $$ {\text{Fe}}({\text{PDTS}})_{3}^{4 - } $$ / $$ {\text{Fe}}({\text{PPDTS}})_{3}^{7 - } $$ and CTAB have been evaluated. The near-equal values of ΔG # obtained in aqueous and CTAB media suggest that these reactions occur by essentially the same mechanism in either medium.