Counterion micellar effects upon the reaction of low-spin diimine iron(II) complexes

The rate of reaction of tris(1,10-phenanthroline)iron(II) ion (1a), tris(3,4,7,8-tetramethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)iron(II) ion (1b), and tris(4,7-diphenhyl-1, 10-phenanthroline)iron(II) ion (1c) with hydroxide ion, in cationic micelles, is strongly affected by the concentration of micellar counterion in solution. The reaction of la in CTACl is modestly speeded up by the addition of added KCl, while the reactions of 1b and 1c are strongly inhibited by the addition of large amounts of KCl and KBr to micellar solutions of CTACl and CTABr, respectively. These rate effects fit the pseudophase-ion exchange model, assuming the binding of the substrates to the micelles depends upon the counterion concentration. Keywords: counterion micellar effects, low-spin diimine iron(II) complexes.