Electrochemical Behavior of Ferrocene Solubilized in Surfactant Micelles: Electrostatic Interaction between Ferricinium Ion and Anionic Micelles

Abstract

Electrochemical behavior of a redox active probe (ferrocene/ferricinium ion redox couple) solubilized in anionic and cationic micelles was examined by cyclic voltammogram (CV) and the properties of solubilizates in these micelles were investigated. CV for ferrocene solubilized in cationic dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide (DTAB) micelles showed a reversible one-electron reversible redox reaction. In CV for ferrocene solubilized in anionic sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) micelles, an oxidation current peak (peak 2) was noted at 0.4V vs. SCE in addition to the reversible redox wave (peak 1) similar to that in the DTAB system. The origin of the oxidation current peak (peak 2) of ferrocene solubilized in SDS micelles is discussed in terms of electrostatic interactions between anionic dodecylsulfate and cationic ferricinium ions.