Effect of hydroxyl group substituted spacer group of cationic gemini surfactants on solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation of Coumarin-480 in aqueous micelles.

The solvation dynamics and rotational relaxation of Coumarin 480 (C-480) have been investigated in the micelles of a series of gemini surfactants, 12-4(OH)n-12 (n = 0, 1, and 2), with increasing hydroxyl group substitution within the spacer group. Steady-state and time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) fluorescence spectroscopic techniques have been used to carry out such study. Steady-state and TCSPC fluorescence data support the location of probe molecule at the Stern layer. The solvation dynamics is found to be slower on hydroxyl substitution of spacer group due to the formation of hydrogen bonds between water molecules and hydroxyl group(s) of spacer group. Such kind of hydrogen bonding protects the probe molecule from its contact with water molecules and also results in restricted mobility of water molecules. The average rotational relaxation time increases on increasing number of substituted hydroxyl group on a spacer group. It is because of formations of more and more close packed micelles and larger extent of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between C-480 and hydroxyl group(s). For micelles of each of 12-4-12 and 12-4(OH)-12, the slow rotational relaxation is dominated by the lateral diffusion of the fluorophore along the spherical surface of the micelle. However, for 12-4(OH)2-12, the slow rotational relaxation is mainly due to the rotational motion of the micelle as a whole. Because of high microviscosity of micelles of 12-4(OH)2-12 and greater extent of hydrogen bonding interactions with C-480, the relaxation time corresponding to the lateral diffusion of the fluorophore is very high in this case.