Photophysical studies of Merocyanine 540 dye in aqueous micellar dispersions of different surfactants and in different solvents

The fluorescence spectra of Merocyanine 540 (MC 540), an anionic dye have been studied in aqueous solution of different nonionic surfactants. The results show the enhancement and red shift of fluorescence bands, indicating electron transfer from the surfactants to the excited dye. This is also supported by the photovoltage generation by the dye-surfactant systems in a photoelectrochemical cell. Possible mechanisms of the excited state interaction and photovoltage generation have been suggested. From the thermodynamic, spectrophotometric and photogalvanic results, it can be concluded that the electron donating abilities of the nonionic surfactants towards MC 540 are in the order: Tween 80 ≈ Tween 60 > Tween 40 > Tween 20 > Triton X-100. The spectral studies (both absorption and fluorescence) of Merocyanine 540 have been carried out in solvents of varying polarities as well as in an aqueous micellar dispersions of nonionic surfactants. The Stokes shifts of the fluorescence from the absorption have been found to increase with increasing polarity of the solvents. An attempt has been made to ascertain the polarity of the microenvironment of Merocyanine 540 in the nonionic surfactant media from the photophysical characteristics of the dye in different solvents of known polarities.