Metachromatic behavior of methylorange in the presence of ionenes

Abstract

The addition of different ionenes, polycations with defined structure and charge distances, to methylorange1 in very dilute solutions of water resulted in an observable shift of the absorption maxima from 464 nm to shorter wavelengths. The extent of this so-called metachromasy effect was found to be dependent on the nature of the hydrophobic unit of the polymer backbone. The comparison of UV/VIS spectra's of these solutions with the absorption of a film of a model substance — a dication with methylorange as counteranion — lead to the conclusion that ionenes undergo an exchange of the counteranions when added to a dilute solution of methylorange. Precipitation is slowed down, but the absorption is equivalent with solid product. The new absorption spectra of methylorange can be explained by the interaction of the quaternary nitrogen with the dye anion.