Evidence for Compartmentalization of Reagents in w/o Microemulsions

Esperanza Fernández, Luis García-Río, Juan C. Mejuto, and Moisés Pérez-Lorenzo

Colloid Surf. A, 2007, 295, 284–287

The effect of AOT-based microemulsions on the reaction between crystal violet and sulphite ion has been studied. On addition of a crystal violet–sulphite (colourless) mixture to AOT-microemulsions, the equilibrium is completely displaced to the reagents (deep blue) while the reaction of crystal violet and sulphite to form a colourless compound is completely inhibited in this medium. This behaviour is an irrefutable evidence of the existence of three well-differentiated microenvironments in the AOT-based microemulsions, even at very low water contents.