Electrochemistry and electrocatalysis with vitamin B sub 12 in an AOT water-in-oil microemulsion

Vitamin B{sub 12a} solubilized in water pools of highly resistive water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions of 0.2 M Aerosol OT (AOT, bis(2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate)/4 M water/isooctane gave separate reductions of base-on cob(III)alamine to base-on cob(II)alamine (E{sub 1/2} = {minus}0.03 V vs SCE) and base-on cob(II)alamine to base-off cob(I)alamine (E{sub 1/2} = {minus} 0.87 V). Diffusion coefficients suggested that vitamin B{sub 12} induces the formation of surfactant aggregates in w/o microemulsions that are larger than in solute-free systems. Relative reactivities toward reductions of three oil-soluble alkyl vicinal dihalides by electrochemically generated cob(I) alamine were modified in the microemulsion compared to isotropic water-acetonitrile. Changes in relative reactivity are not explained by simple partition of vicinal dibromides between isooctane and water and suggest specific interactions with surfactant aggregates or significant reaction in the bulk isooctane phase.