Abstract
The control and modification of reactivity through incorporation of molecules into organized assemblies remains an area of considerable interest. A specific subarea that has attracted recent interest concerns reactivity of molecules incorporated into host-guest systems. In this context, we have investigated the photochemical behavior of a large number of organic molecules in micellar and cyclodextrin media. The photochemical Norrish type I and type II reactions of cyclodextrin and micellar bound benzoin alkyl ethers have been explored. The irradiation in micellar and cyclodextrin media leads to a large change in product distribution from that found in benzene and methanol. Conformational and cage effects have been proposed to be responsible for the dramatic alteration in the photobehavior.