Solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation of coumarin 153 in mixed micelles of Triton X-100 and cationic gemini surfactants: effect of composition and spacer chain length of gemini surfactants

Solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation of coumarin 153 (C-153) in mixed micelles of non-ionic surfactant, Triton X-100 and a series of cationic gemini surfactants, 12-s-12, 2Br(-) with varying polymethylene spacer chain length (s = 3, 6, 8, 12) at different bulk mole fractions of a surfactant were studied. Studies were carried out by means of UV-Vis absorption, steady-state fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy, time-resolved fluorescence and fluorescence anisotropy, and dynamic light scattering measurements. While micropolarity of the environment around C-153 in mixed micelles increased, the microviscosity decreased with increasing amount of a gemini surfactant. This is because the thickness of the Stern layer of micelles increases as a result of greater extent of penetration of water molecules. Solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation of C-153 become faster with increasing mole fraction of a gemini surfactant in the mixed micelles. Increasing the thickness of the Stern layer leads to an increase in the number of water molecules hydrogen bonded among themselves, resulting in an increase in polarity and microfluidity of the environment. At a given bulk mole fraction of a surfactant, the microviscosity of micelles decreases with increasing the spacer chain length of the gemini surfactant resulting in an increase in the rate of the rotational relaxation process. However, at a given bulk mole fraction of a surfactant, solvation dynamics becomes slower with increasing spacer chain length from s = 3 to 8 because of the increasing degree of counter ion dissociation. The slow rotational relaxation process is mainly due to the lateral diffusion of C-153 along the surface of the micelles. Rotational motion of the micelle as a whole is much slower than the lateral diffusion of C-153.