DRAMATIC EFFECT OF MAGNETITE PARTICLES ON THE DYNAMICS OF PHOTOGENERATED FREE-RADICALS

Polymeric particles of about 1 mu m in diameter and containing around 40% magnetite have a dramatic influence on the dynamics of triplet rad ical pair reactions occurring in micelles in their vicinity. The effec t has been monitored with laser flash photolysis techniques and result s in a decrease of the number of radicals that separate from their gem inate partner and an acceleration of radical pair geminate reactions. The effect involves remote interactions because the solution contains ca 10(11) micelles for each polymeric particle. Magnetite also perturb s the way in which the radicals interact with an external magnetic fie ld.