Medium Effect on the Formation of Ion-Pair between Methylene Blue and Tetraphenylborate in Dilute Solutions

The hydrophobic interaction leading to the formation of ion-pair between $MB^+$ and $TPB^-$ was investigated spectroscopically by varying the medium with the addition of 1,A-dioxane or urea. Beyond 0.01 mole fraction of 1,A-dioxane in water or above 2.0M urea the ion-pair appeared to be completely dissociated into individual ions. The ion-pair was not observed in common organic solvents and the absorption maxima of $MB^+$ were correlated relatively well with the ${\pi}^{\ast}$-scale.