ELECTRON-TRANSFER ACROSS INTERFACES BETWEEN WATER AND HYDROPHOBIC REGION AS CATALYZED BY PHOTOEXCITED AMPHIPATHIC RUTHENIUM COMPLEX

Abstract

An amphipathic ruthenium complex in the photoactivated state was found to serve as a good catalyst for electrontransfer across the interface between water and hydrophobic interior of micelles or liposomes. The reaction proceeded via oxidative quenching of the photoexcited complex by methylviologen homologues, if EDTA was used as the final electron source (reducing agent). Reductive quenching was observed, however, when either NTA (in CTAC system) or triethylamine (in loposome system) was the electron source of the reaction under similar conditions. The mechanism was discussed and the possible application to the energy conversion process was suggested.