Electronic absorption spectra, fluorescence emission spectra, ATR-FTIR spectra, cyclic voltammetric measurements, and ab initio quantum calculation are used to study the properties of morin in CTAB micelles with different microstructures and microenvironments and to gain information about the binding of morin with CTAB micelles. Morin can be located in the CTAB micelle with its phenyl group (deviating with 38.98 degrees from the planarity) only in the form of the monomer, which leads to increase of the planarity and extension of the pi conjugation of the whole molecule. The embedding of two hydroxyl groups on the phenyl into a more hydrophobic microenvironment makes the oxidation peak of morin move to a higher potential with a decreased peak current. The binding of morin with CTAB micelles is a spontaneous (Delta G < 0) and endothermic process (Delta H > 0), and the hydrophobic and electrostatic force is the main driving force for its solubilization. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.