Spectral behaviour of eosin Y in different solvents and aqueous surfactant media

Photophysical behaviour of the anionic xanthene dye, eosin Y (EY) was investigated in solvents of different polarities as well as in the presence of aqueous cationic surfactants. From the correlation between ET(30) and Kosower Z values of EY in different solvents, subsequent parameters for EY were determined in the presence of surfactants. A red shift, both in the absorption and emission spectra of EY, was observed with decreasing solvent polarity. Dimerisation of EY was found to be dependent on solvent polarity. Cationic surfactants retarded the process of dimerisation, which were evident from the lower dimerisation constant (KD) values, compared to that of in pure water. Dye–surfactant interaction constants were determined at different temperatures (298–318 K) and subsequently the thermodynamic parameters, viz., ΔG°, ΔH° and ΔS° were evaluated using the interaction constant values. The fluorescence spectra of EY followed the same trend as in the absorption spectra, although with lesser extents. Stokes shifts were calculated and correlated with the polarity of the medium. Fluorescence of EY was initially quenched by the cationic surfactants in their pre-micellar region, which then followed a red shift with intensity enhancement. Fluorescence quenching was found to be of Stern–Volmer type where the excited state lifetime of EY remained unchanged in different surfactant media. However, the anisotropy value of EY was changed in the post micellar region of surfactants.

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• Spectral studies on eosin Y in the presence of different solvents and surfactants in aqueous medium have been carried out.
• Dye dimerization, its interaction with surfactant was studied by absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopic methods.
• Steady-state anisotropy values were also determined under various environments.
• Results have been correlated with the solvent polarity and nature of surfactants, which have not systematically done before.