PHOTOELECTROCHEMICAL STUDIES OF THIONINE DYE IN AQUEOUS SURFACTANT SOLUTION

The photovoltage developed in a photoelectrochemical cell consisting of thionine, a cationic dye, in surfactant solutions has been found to correlate with the equilibrium constants of the dye-surfactant complexes studied spectrophotometrically. A possible mechanism for photoinduced electron transfer from the surfactant to the dye leading to photovoltage generation has been suggested. The electrode kinetics of the photoinduced redox reactions in the cell have also been studied to confirm the mechanism of photoinduced electron transfer as well as the interaction between the dye and surfactant.