Micellar Effects and their Relevance in Photochemistry and Photocatalysis

Abstract

The encapsulation of substrates within micellar structures gives rise to a multitude of effects beyond simple solubilization in water. When incorporated in photochemical reaction design micellar media may offer possibilities to control both reactivity and selectivity. Herein, we describe various important micellar phenomena such as encapsulation, polarity differences, electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonding, and discuss the various resulting mechanisms by which reaction outcomes can be greatly influenced. In this concept article, we showcase selected photochemical reactions to demonstrate how micellar effects can be selectively applied in reaction design.