Probing the interactions of coordination complexes with interfaces is important for understanding how metal based drugs are taken up into cells and are subsequently affected in catalytic processes. Encapsulation of a series of metal complexes within reverse micelles (RMs) formed with positively and negatively charged surfactants has been carried out. We have used changes in the positions of the MLCT bands of pentammineruthenium(II) and pentacyanoferrate(II) complexes possessing N-heterocyclic ligands as a probe to determine the extent of ligand penetration into the RM interfaces. Our UV-vis spectroscopic results are supported by <sup>1</sup>H-NMR spectroscopy. We have also used UV-vis spectroscopy to spectrophotometrically determine the pKas of the protonatable N-heterocyclic ligands on the ruthenium(II) complexes. The influence of RM sizes and interfacial charges along with ligand hydrophobicity and structure are reported. This work shows that the observed pKa values decrease significantly (up to 4pKa units) by encapsulation as RM size decreases.

Interactions of coordination complexes with reverse micellar interfaces: The effects on MLCT bands and coordinated ligand pKa values

249th National Meeting (2015)

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