Intense room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of 1-bromonaphthalene (1-BrN) induced by anionic surfactants (AS) was studied in aerated aqueous β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) solution. It has been found that considerably enhanced RTP arises from the formation of the 1:1:1/AS:1-BrN:β-CD ternary inclusion complex. Analyses of spectral structure and surface tension of solutions suggest that the hydrophobic hardrocarbon chain of surfactants was partly included in the apolar cavity of β-CD and the part with the polar head group of hydrocarbon chain located outside the cavity coiled over the top of β-CD, providing an effective protection for RTP. Since it contains a surfactant with a polar head group, the complex precipitate was homogeneously dispersed in aqueous solution and stable RTP was obtained.

Key words: BROMINE COMPOUNDS, NAPHTHALENE P, CYCLODEXTRIN, ANIONIC SURFACTANTS, SURFACE TENSION, PHOSPHORESCENCE