Lanthanide surfactants of the type Ln(AOT)3 have
been prepared and characterized, where Ln = Tb,
Eu, Nd, and AOT is bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate.
Small-angle neutron scattering experiments indicate
that spherical reverse micelles form in cyclohexane. The
luminescence lifetimes of lanthanide ions held
inside these aggregates were found to depend on the molar ratio
w = [water]/[AOT-]. This behavior
is
consistent with changes in the Ln3+ solvation: in
“dry” micelles the ions are complexed by the
surfactant
polar groups, while addition of water results in progressive Ln ion
hydration. The results show that
reversed micelles can be used to control photophysical properties of
lanthanides.
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