REACTIVITY OF INORGANIC COMPLEXES IN ORGANIZED MEDIA

Many reactions of inorganic complexes (solvated metal ions included in this category) proceed much more rapidly in micellar systems than in aqueous solution. Similarly, the appropriate use of microemulsions can permit the study of reactions involving water-insoluble substrates in media with a significant water content. Examples of such systems, involving substitution and electron transfer processes, will be discussed: (a) metal-ion catalysed equation of halogeno-metal complexes; (b) complex formation from solvated nickel (II) cations; (c) hydroxide and cyanide attack at low-spin iron (II) -diimine complexes; (d) outer-sphere redox reactions involving oxidation and reduction by such complexes as Fe (phen)3n+, Fe (bipy)2(CN)2+, and IrCl62-. The mode of interaction in the organised media will be discussed, in relation both to the approach of the reactants and to the subsequent kinetically-controlled interchange or electron transfer steps. Some of the products from (c) are solvatochromic and can, therefore, be used as polarity indicators to probe solvation in micellar and microemulsion solvent systems. © 1990.