Quantitative analysis of micellar effect on the reaction rate of alkaline fading of phenolphthalein

Abstract

Quantitative treatment of the kinetic data of the reaction between phenolphthalein dianion and hydroxide ion in aqueous solutions containing variable concentration of various surfactants is presented. Following surfactants are used: Brij-35 (nonionic), sodium n-dodecyl sulfate (anionic), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (cationic) and 3-(dimethyl-n-dodecylammonio)-propansulfonate (zwitterionic). The quantitative treatment is carried out basing of Piszkiewicz’s, Berezin’s, and Pseudophase Ion-Exchange (PIE) models. It is revealed that the Berezin’s model is a more applicable one for describing the effect of nonionic, anionic, and zwitterionic micellar systems. The values of the corresponding kinetic parameters are discussed. The effect of cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide on the reaction is also examined and quantitatively described by the PIE model. The research of systems based on a cationic surfactant shows previously unknown effect called by us as “diverting influence”.