Acridine dyes in the triplet state as reagents for the selective luminescence determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

The possibility of the selective determination of several polycyclic aromat ic hydrocarbons (PAH) by sensitized room-temperature phosphorescence (SRTP) in sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micelles was studied. Acridine dyes (trypaf lavine, acridine yellow, and acridine orange) were used as triplet-energy d onors. It was found that the presence of external heavy atoms of thallium(I ) is a prerequisite to SRTP in the system of an acridine dye (donor) and a PAH (acceptor). The linear concentration ranges, detection limits, and sele ctivity factors for the determination of pyrene, anthracene, and 1,2-benzan thracene by fluorimetry, room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP), and propos ed SRTP were compared.