PHOTOINDUCED CHARGE SEPARATION IN REVERSE MICELLES PREPARED WITH BENZYLHEXADECYLDIMETHYLAMMONIUM CHLORIDE (BHDC) - THE ELECTRON-TRANSFER REACTION BETWEEN PYRENE AND N,N'-DIMETHYLANILINE

Laser flash photolysis was used to investigate the formation of radica l ions produced in the quenching of the pyrene-N,N'-dimethylaniline ex ciplex by reverse micelles made with benzylhexadecyldimethylammonium c hloride (BHDC) dispersed in benzene or chlorobenzene. The radical ion quantum yields, Phi(ion), were determined as a function of BHDC concen tration and the amount of water dispersed. They were strongly dependen t on the composition of the media. The charge separation was more effe ctive in the BHDC-benzene than in the BHDC-chlorobenzene system. The r esults are discussed in terms of the properties of the micellar interf ace and the fast exchange of material produced by collisions between r everse micelles.