Spectroscopic properties of polycyclic aromatic compounds Part 6. The nitromethane selective quenching rule visited in aqueous micellar zwitterionic surfactant solvent media.

Applicability of the nitromethane selective quenching rule for discriminating between alternant versus nonalternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is examined for 58 representative PAH solutes dissolved in micellar N-hexadecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate and in micellar N-dodecyl-N,N-dimethyl-3-ammonio-1-propanesulfonate solvent media. Results of measurements show that zwitterionic surfactants can be considered, for the most part, as providing a polar solubilizing media as far as the nitromethane selective quenching rule is concerned. Nonalternant PAHs that contain electron donating methoxy- and hydroxy-functional groups (and methyl-groups to a much lesser extent) are noted exceptions.