AMPHIPHILIC FERROCENE ALCOHOLS AS ELECTROACTIVE PROBES IN MICELLAR SOLUTIONS AND MICROEMULSIONS

2-Ferrocenyl-2-decanol(FcOHC10), 2-ferrocenyl-2-tetradecanol (FcOHC(14 )), and 2-ferrocenyl-2-octadecanol (FcOHC(18)) were synthesized and ev aluated as electrochemical probes for the behavior of alcohols in mice llar solutions and microemulsions. One-electron oxidations of the ferr ocene moieties were nearly reversible and controlled by diffusion in m icroemulsions. The electrode reactions were more complex in micellar s olutions and were influenced by diffusion, adsorption onto the electro de, and possibly chemical reactions coupled to electron transfer. Amph iphilic ferrocene alcohols were reasonably informative electrochemical probes in bicontinuous microemulsions made with cationic and anionic surfactants. Apparent diffusion coefficients suggested that the alcoho ls are distributed between the oil-water interfaces and the oil phase of the microemulsions, with increases in chain length favoring binding at this interface. Little evidence was found for adsorption of any fe rrocene alcohols at any electrode-microemulsion interface. In comparis on to microemulsions of cationic surfactants, the ferrocene alcohols w ere more easily and rapidly reduced in an SDS microemulsion. This may be attributed to Coulombic interactions between the ferricinium oxidat ion product and dodecyl sulfate.