Isothermal cure kinetics of epoxy/phenol‐novolac resin blend system initiated by cationic latent thermal catalyst

The investigation of the cure kinetics of a diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA)/phenol‐novolac blend system with different phenolic contents initiated by a cationic latent thermal catalyst [N‐benzylpyrazinium hexafluoroantimonate (BPH)] was performed by means of the analysis of isothermal experiments using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Latent properties were investigated by measuring the conversion as a function of curing temperature using a dynamic DSC method. The results indicated that the BPH in this system for cure is a significant thermal latent initiator and has good latent thermal properties. The cure reaction of the blend system using BPH as a curing agent was strongly dependent on the cure temperature and proceeded through an autocatalytic kinetic mechanism that was accelerated by the hydroxyl group produced through the reaction between DGEBA and BPH. At a specific conversion region, once vitrification took place, the cure reaction of the epoxy/phenol‐novolac/BPH blend system was controlled by a diffusion‐control cure reaction rather than by an autocatalytic reaction. The kinetic constants k₁ and k₂ and the cure activation energies E₁ and E₂ obtained by the Arrhenius temperature dependence equation of the epoxy/phenol‐novolac/BPH blend system were mainly discussed as increasing the content of the phenol‐novolac resin to the epoxy neat resin. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 2945–2956, 2000     

A New Curing Kinetic Model and Its Application to BPSER/DDM Epoxy System

A new model has been deduced by assumed autocatalytic reactions. It includes two rate constants, k ₁ and k ₂, two reaction orders, m and n, and the initial concentration of [OH]. The model proposed has been applied to the curing reaction of a system of bisphenol-S epoxy resin (BPSER), with4,4'-diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) as a curing agent. The curing reactions were studied by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Analysis of DSC data indicated that an autocatalytic behavior showed in the curing reaction. The new model was found to fit to the experimental data exactly. Rate constants, k ₁ and k ₂ were observed to be greater when curing temperature increased. The activation energies for k ₁ and k ₂ were 95.28 and 39.69 kJ mol^–1, respectively. Diffusion control was incorporated to describe the cure in the latter stages. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Curing kinetics of boron‐containing phenol–formaldehyde resin formed from paraformaldehyde

A boron‐containing phenol–formaldehyde resin (BPFR) was synthesized from boric acid, phenol, and paraformaldehyde. The curing reaction of BPFR was studied by Fourier‐transform infrared spectrometry and differential scanning calorimetry. According to the heat evolution behavior during the curing process, several influencing factors on isothermal curing reaction were evaluated. The results show that the isothermal kinetic reaction of BPFR follows autocatalytic kinetics mechanism, and kinetic parameters m, n, k₁, and k₂, were derived, respectively. In the latter reaction stage, the curing reaction becomes controlled mainly by diffusion. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 34: 638–644, 2002     

Calorimetric investigation of polymerization reactions. IV. Curing reaction of polyester fumarate with styrene

The curing reaction of polyester fumarate with styrene was investigated with a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) operated isothermally. The change in rate of cure was followed over the whole range of conversion. The rate of cure is accelerated by the gel effect to about ten to fifty times the rate of model copolymerization of diethyl fumarate with styrene. This autoacceleration is much enhanced for systems with higher crosslinking densities and at lower temperatures. The results confirm that both termination and propagation steps of the curing reaction are controlled by diffusion of polymeric segments and monomer molecules over almost the whole range of conversion. The final extent of conversion is short of completion for isothermal cure and even for postcure of polyester fumarate with styrene because of crosslink formation. The final conversion of isothermal cure decreases with increasing crosslinking density and shows a maximum with increasing reaction temperature. This temperature dependency of the final conversion is caused by the difference in the activation energies for two propagation rate constants k_pf and k_ps, which were evaluated to be 7–10 and 5–8 kcal/mole, respectively, for the intermediate stage of the curing reaction.     

Kinetics of the reaction of 4,4′‐biphenol with bromoethane and 1‐bromobutane by phase‐transfer catalysis

The reaction of 4,4′‐biphenol and two species of bromoalkanes (e.g., bromoethane and 1‐bromobutane) to synthesize two symmetric products (4,4′‐diethanoxy biphenyl and 4,4′‐dibutanoxy biphenyl) and one asymmetric product (4‐ethanoxy, 4′‐butanoxy biphenyl) was successfully carried out under two‐phase phase‐transfer catalysis conditions. A rational mechanism and kinetic model were built up by considering the reactions both in aqueous phase and in organic phase. The first active catalyst (QO(Ph)₂OQ) was also synthesized under two‐phase reaction and was identified by instruments. The experimental data were explained satisfactorily by the pseudo‐steady‐state hypothesis. Two sets of rate constants of organic reactions, i.e. primary (k₁ and k₂) and secondary (k₁₁, k₁₂, k₂₁, and k₂₂) rate constants participate in the kinetic model. The two primary rate constants were obtained individually via experimental data for synthesizing the symmetric products. The ratios of the other four secondary rate constants were obtained from the reaction of synthesizing asymmetric products and determined from the initial yield rates of symmetric products. The effects of the ratio of bromoethane and 1‐bromobutane, temperature, organic solvents, amount of catalyst, and amount of sodium hydroxide on the reaction rate and the selectivity of products were investigated in detail. The results were explained satisfactorily by the interaction between the reactants and the environmental species. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 35: 139–153, 2003     

1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition of Diazo Compounds to Electron‐Deficient Alkenes: Kinetics and Mechanism of Formation of Dimethyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazol‐3,5‐dicarboxylate

1,3‐Dipolar cycloaddition of methyl diazoacetate to methyl acrylate was investigated by kinetic ¹Н NMR spectroscopy. It was established that the mechanism of the process includes parallel formation of trans‐ and cis‐dimethyl‐4,5‐dihydro‐3H‐pyrazol‐3,5‐dicarboxylates as a result of [3 + 2]‐cycloaddition of methyl diazoacetate to methyl acrylate; the corresponding rate constants were denoted k_1t and k_1c. The reaction rate of the isomerization of 3Н‐pyrazolines to 4,5‐dihydro‐1H‐pyrazol‐3,5‐dicarboxylate (3Н → 1Н‐pyrazoline rearrangement) was found to be sensitive to both the methyl acrylate (k_2t, k_2c) and 1Н‐pyrazoline concentrations (k_3t, k_3c). Kinetic analysis showed that the proposed scheme is valid for various reagent concentrations. The numerical solution of the system of differential equations corresponded to the reaction scheme and was used to determine the complete set of reaction rate constants (k (× 10⁵ M^–1·s^–1), 298 K; solvent, benzene‐d₆): k_1t = 2.3 ± 0.3, k_1c = 1.6 ± 0.2, k_2t = 1.1 ± 0.3, k_2c = 1.8 ± 0.5, k_3t = 1.2 ± 0.4, k_3c = 2.2 ± 0.7.     

Influence of the stereochemical configuration on the radical polymerization of methacrylic monomers: cis‐ and trans‐(2‐cyclohexyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐5‐yl) methacrylate

The synthesis of two new isomeric monomers, cis‐(2‐cyclohexyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐5‐yl) methacrylate (CCDM) and trans‐(2‐cyclohexyl‐1,3‐dioxan‐5‐yl) methacrylate (TCDM), starting from the reaction of glycerol and cyclohexanecarbaldehyde, is reported. The process involved the preparation of different alcohol acetals and esterification with methacryloyl chloride of the corresponding cis and trans 5‐hydroxy compounds of 2‐cyclohexyl‐1,3‐dioxane. The radical polymerization reactions of both monomers, under the same conditions of temperature, solvent, monomer, and initiator concentrations, were studied to investigate the influence of the monomer configuration on the values of the propagation and termination rate constants (k_p and k_t ).The values of the ratio k_p /k_t ^1/2 were determined by UV spectroscopy by the measurement of the changes of absorbance with time at several wavelengths in the range 275–285 nm, where an appropriate change in absorbance was observed. Reliable values of the kinetics constants were determined by UV spectroscopy, showing a very good reproducibility of the kinetic experiments. The values of k_p /k_t ^1/2, in the temperature interval 45–65 °C, lay in the range 0.40–0.50 L^1/2/mol^1/2s^1/2 and 0.20–0.30 L^1/2/mol^1/2s^1/2 for CCDM and TCDM, respectively. Measurements of both the radical concentrations and the absolute rate constants k_p and k_t were also carried out with electron paramagnetic resonance techniques. The values of k_p at 60 °C were nearly identical for both the trans and cis monomers, but the termination rate constant of the trans monomer was about three times that of the cis monomer at the same temperature. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 38: 3883–3891, 2000     

Curing Kinetics and Thermal Property Characterization of Bisphenol-F Epoxy Resin and MeTHPA System

The curing kinetics of bisphenol-F epoxy resin (BPFER) and curing agent 3-methyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophthalic anhydride (MeTHPA), with N,N-dimethyl-benzylamine as an accelerator, were studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Analysis of DSC data indicated that an autocatalytic behavior showed in the first stages of the cure for the system, which could be well described by the model proposed by Kamal, which includes two rate constants, k ₁ and k ₂, and two reaction orders, m andn. The curing reaction at the later stages was practically diffusion-controlled. To consider the diffusion effect more precisely, diffusion factor, d(a), was introduced into Kamal's equation. The glass transition temperatures (T _gs) of the BPFER/MeTHPA samples were determined by means of torsional braid analysis (TBA). The thermal degradation kinetics of cured BPFER were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TG). This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Radical and cationic polymerizations of 3‐ethyl‐3‐methacryloyloxymethyloxetane

3‐Ethyl‐3‐methacryloyloxymethyloxetane (EMO) was easily polymerized by dimethyl 2,2′‐azobisisobutyrate (MAIB) as the radical initiator through the opening of the vinyl group. The initial polymerization rate (R_p) at 50 °C in benzene was given by R_p = k[MAIB]^0.55 [EMO]^1.2. The overall activation energy of the polymerization was estimated to be 87 kJ/mol. The number‐average molecular weight (M?_n) of the resulting poly(EMO)s was in the range of 1–3.3 × 10⁵. The polymerization system was found to involve electron spin resonance (ESR) observable propagating poly(EMO) radicals under practical polymerization conditions. ESR‐determined rate constants of propagation (k_p) and termination (k_t) at 60 °C are 120 and 2.41 × 10⁵ L/mol s, respectively—much lower than those of the usual methacrylate esters such as methyl methacrylate and glycidyl methacrylate. The radical copolymerization of EMO (M₁) with styrene (M₂) at 60 °C gave the following copolymerization parameters: r₁ = 0.53, r₂ = 0.43, Q₁ = 0.87, and e₁ = +0.42. EMO was also observed to be polymerized by BF₃OEt₂ as the cationic initiator through the opening of the oxetane ring. The M?_n of the resulting polymer was in the range of 650–3100. The cationic polymerization of radically formed poly(EMO) provided a crosslinked polymer showing distinguishably different thermal behaviors from those of the radical and cationic poly(EMO)s. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 39: 1269–1279, 2001     

Kinetics of malachite green fading in water–ethanol–2‐propanol ternary mixtures

The rate constant of malachite green (MG⁺) alkaline fading was measured in water–ethanol–2‐propanol ternary mixtures. This reaction was studied under pseudo‐first‐order conditions at 283–303 K. It was observed that the observed reaction rate constants, k_obs, were increased in the presence of different weight percentages of ethanol and 2‐propanol. The fundamental rate constants of MG⁺ fading in these solutions were obtained by using the SESMORTAC model. In each series of experiments, the concentration of one alcohol was kept constant and the concentration of the second one was changed. It was observed that at the constant concentration of one alcohol and variable concentrations of the second one, with an increase in temperature, k₂ values decrease according to the trend of hydroxide ion nucleophilic parameter values and k₁ values increase. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 43: 441–453, 2011     

Kinetics of the gas‐phase reactions of cyclo‐CF2CFXCHXCHX – (X = H,F, Cl) with OH radicals at 253–328 K

Rate constants were determined for the reactions of OH radicals with halogenated cyclobutanes cyclo‐CF₂CF₂CHFCH₂? (k₁), trans‐cyclo‐CF₂CF₂CHClCHF? (k₂), cyclo‐CF₂CFClCH₂CH₂? (k₃), trans‐cyclo‐CF₂CFClCHClCH₂? (k₄), and cis‐cyclo‐CF₂CFClCHClCH₂? (k₅) by using a relative rate method. OH radicals were prepared by photolysis of ozone at a UV wavelength (254 nm) in 200 Torr of a sample reference H₂O? O₃? O₂? He gas mixture in an 11.5‐dm³ temperature‐controlled reaction chamber. Rate constants of k₁ = (5.52 ± 1.32) × 10^?13 exp[–(1050 ± 70)/T], k₂ = (3.37 ± 0.88) × 10^?13 exp[–(850 ± 80)/T], k₃ = (9.54 ± 4.34) × 10^?13 exp[–(1000 ± 140)/T], k₄ = (5.47 ± 0.90) × 10^?13 exp[–(720 ± 50)/T], and k₅ = (5.21 ± 0.88) × 10^?13 exp[–(630 ± 50)/T] cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1 were obtained at 253–328 K. The errors reported are ± 2 standard deviations, and represent precision only. Potential systematic errors associated with uncertainties in the reference rate constants could add an additional 10%–15% uncertainty to the uncertainty of k₁–k₅. The reactivity trends of these OH radical reactions were analyzed by using a collision theory–based kinetic equation. The rate constants k₁–k₅ as well as those of related halogenated cyclobutane analogues were found to be strongly correlated with their C? H bond dissociation enthalpies. We consider the dominant tropospheric loss process for the halogenated cyclobutanes studied here to be by reaction with the OH radicals, and atmospheric lifetimes of 3.2, 2.5, 1.5, 0.9, and 0.7 years are calculated for cyclo‐CF₂CF₂CHFCH₂? , trans‐cyclo‐CF₂CF₂CHClCHF? , cyclo‐CF₂CFClCH₂CH₂? , trans‐cyclo‐CF₂CFClCHClCH₂? , and cis‐cyclo‐CF₂CFClCHClCH₂? , respectively, by scaling from the lifetime of CH₃CCl₃. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 532–542, 2009     

Solvent polarity and hydrogen bond effects on nucleophilic substitution reaction of 2‐bromo‐5‐nitrothiophene with piperidine

The reaction kinetics of 2‐bromo‐5‐nitro thiophene with piperidine was studied in a solvent with a mixture of propan‐2‐ol with methanol and n‐hexane at 25°C. The measured rate coefficients of the reaction demonstrated dramatic variations in propan‐2‐ol–n‐hexane mixtures and mild variations in propan‐2‐ol–methanol system. The second‐order rate coefficients of the reaction, k_A, decreased sharply with n‐hexane content. The multiparameter correlation of log k_A versus molecular‐microscopic solvent parameters shows interesting results in these solutions. Linear free energy relationship investigations confirm that polarity has a major effect on the reaction rate and hydrogen bond ability of the media has a slight effect on the reaction rate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 43: 185–190, 2011     

The gas‐phase elimination kinetics of ethyl 2‐furoate and ethyl 2‐thiophenecarboxylate

The gas‐phase elimination kinetics of ethyl 2‐furoate and 2‐ethyl 2‐thiophenecarboxylate was carried out in a static reaction system over the temperature range of 623.15–683.15 K (350–410°C) and pressure range of 30–113 Torr. The reactions proved to be homogeneous, unimolecular, and obey a first‐order rate law. The rate coefficients are expressed by the following Arrhenius equations: ethyl 2‐furoate, log k₁ (s^?1) = (11.51 ± 0.17)–(185.6 ± 2.2) kJ mol^?1 (2.303 RT)^?1; ethyl 2‐thiophenecarboxylate, log k₁ (s^?1) = (11.59 ± 0.19)–(183.8 ± 2.4) kJ mol^?1 (2.303 RT)^?1. The elimination products are ethylene and the corresponding heteroaromatic 2‐carboxylic acid. However, as the reaction temperature increases, the intermediate heteroaromatic carboxylic acid products slowly decarboxylate to give the corresponding heteroaromatic furan and thiophene, respectively. The mechanisms of these reactions are suggested and described. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 41: 145–152, 2009     

Dual‐parameter correlations on rate of an aromatic nucleophilic substitution reaction in aqueous solutions of methanol,ethanol, and propan‐2‐ol

Reaction kinetics of 1‐chloro‐2,4‐dinitrobenzene with piperidine was studied spectrophotometrically in aqueous solutions of methanol, ethanol, and propan‐2‐ol at 25°C. The reaction in these solutions is not catalyzed by piperidine. The plots of second‐order rate constants of the reaction vs. mole fraction of water show maxima in the all‐aqueous solutions. Single‐parameter correlations of log k₂ vs. π* (dipolarity/polarizability), α (hydrogen‐bond donor acidity), and E_T^N (normalized polarity parameter) are very poor in the all solutions (for example, in aqueous solutions of ethanol, regression coefficients are 0.814, 0.113, and 0.486, respectively). Dual‐parameter correlations of log k₂ vs. π* and α in all cases represent significant improvement with regard to the single‐parameter models (in aqueous solutions of ethanol: n = 11, r = 0.980, and s = 0.034). Dipolarity/polarizability and hydrogen‐bond donor acidity (HBD) of media have opposite effects on the reaction rate. The activated complex leading to the zwitterionic intermediate is expected to be favored by increasing the solvent dipolarity/polarizability parameter. Increasing the hydrogen‐bond donor acidity of solvent stabilizes piperidine and hence the reaction rate decreases. A dual‐parameter equation of log k₂ vs. π* and α was obtained in the all‐aqueous solutions (n = 31, r = 0.956, s = 0.055) in which π* and α have approximately equal and opposite effects on the reaction rate. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 118–123, 2001     

Thermolysis of 3‐alkyl‐3‐methyl‐1,2‐dioxetanes: activation parameters and chemiexcitation yields

3‐Methyl‐3‐(3‐pentyl)‐1,2‐dioxetane 1 and 3‐methyl‐3‐(2,2‐dimethyl‐1‐propyl)‐1,2‐dioxetane 2 were synthesized in low yield by the α‐bromohydroperoxide method. The activation parameters were determined by the chemiluminescence method (for 1 ΔH‡ = 25.0 ± 0.3 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −1.0 entropy unit (e.u.), ΔG‡ = 25.3 kcal/mol, k₁ (60°C) = 4.6 × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹; for 2 ΔH‡ = 24.2 ± 0.2 kcal/mol, ΔS‡ = −2.0 e.u., ΔG‡ = 24.9 kcal/mol, k₁ (60°C) = 9.2 × 10⁻⁴s⁻¹. Thermolysis of 1–2 produced excited carbonyl fragments (direct production of high yields of triplets relative to excited singlets) (chemiexcitation yields for 1: ϕ^T = 0.02, ϕ^S ≤ 0.0005; for 2: ϕ^T = 0.02, ϕ^S ≤ 0.0004). The results are discussed in relation to a diradical‐like mechanism. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 12:176–179, 2001     

Curing Kinetics of Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol A and Diaminodiphenylmethane Using a Mechanistic Model

Summary: The curing kinetics of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) and 4,4′‐diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) was analyzed using isothermal differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) modes by using a simple mechanistic model which includes two rate constants, k₁ and k₂, two reaction orders, n₁ and n₂, and the ratio of initial concentration of hydroxyl group to initial epoxy concentration, c₀. Analyses of DSC data indicated that an autocatalytic reaction existed in the curing process. The mechanistic model proposed in this paper fits the experimental data exactly. Rate constants, k₁ and k₂ have been found to increase with rising curing temperature. The activation energies for the relative reactions were determined to be 66.00 ± 4.21 and 50.74 ± 8.92 kJ/mol, respectively. The complex equivalent constant, K, decreased with increasing temperature. Diffusion control was incorporated to describe the cure in the latter stages.

Comparison of experimental data with the mechanistic model for the curing kinetics of DGEBA with DDM.     

Study of the reaction Fe(CN)4(bpy)2− + S2O82− in Sulfobetaine Aqueous Micellar Solutions

The reaction Fe(CN)₄(bpy)^2? + S₂O₈^2? has been studied in aqueous micellar solutions of N‐tetradecyl‐N,N‐dimethyl‐3‐ammonio‐1‐propanesulfonate, SB3‐14. The influence of changes in the surfactant concentration as well as in the peroxodisulfate ions concentration on k_obs was investigated. Spectroscopic and conductivity measurements have given information about the distribution of both anionic reagents between the aqueous and micellar pseudophases of the SB3‐14 micellar solutions. A discussion about the adequacy of various equations based on the pseudophase model to rationalize kinetic micellar effects for anion‐anion reactions in sulfobetaine micellar solutions has been done. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 225–231, 2001     

Incubation period in the 2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy‐mediated thermal autopolymerization of styrene: Kinetics and simulations

Mechanisms and simulations of the induction period and the initial polymerization stages in the nitroxide‐mediated autopolymerization of styrene are discussed. At 120–125 °C and moderate 2,2,4,4‐tetramethyl‐1‐piperidinyloxy (TEMPO) concentrations (0.02–0.08 M), the main source of radicals is the hydrogen abstraction of the Mayo dimer by TEMPO [with the kinetic constant of hydrogen abstraction (k_h)]. At higher TEMPO concentrations ([N?] > 0.1 M), this reaction is still dominant, but radical generation by the direct attack against styrene by TEMPO, with kinetic constant of addition k_ad, also becomes relevant. From previous experimental data and simulations, initial estimates of k_h ≈ 1 and k_ad ≈ 6 × 10^?7 L mol^?1 s^?1 are obtained at 125 °C. From the induction period to the polymerization regime, there is an abrupt change in the dominant mechanism generating radicals because of the sudden decrease in the nitroxide radicals. Under induction‐period conditions, the simulations confirm the validity of the quasi‐steady‐state assumption (QSSA) for the Mayo dimer in this regime; however, after the induction period, the QSSA for the dimer is not valid, and this brings into question the scientific basis of the well‐known expression k_th[M]³ (where [M] is the monomer concentration and k_th is the kinetic constant of autoinitiation) for the autoinitiation rate in styrene polymerization. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 6962‐6979, 2006     

Solvent effects on the rate of reaction of Cl2˙− and SO4˙− radicals with unsaturated alcohols

Rate constants have been measured in several aqueous/organic solvent mixtures for the addition reaction of Cl₂^˙? radicals with 2-propen-1-o1 and 2-buten-1-o1 as a function of temperature and with 2, 3-dimethyl-2-butene at room temperature. The rate constants were in the range of 10⁶–10⁹ L mol^?1 s^?1, the activation energies were relatively low (1–10 kJ mol^?1), and the pre-exponential factors varied over the range log A = 7.9 to 9.4. The rate constants (k) decreased (by up to a factor of 30) upon increasing the fraction of organic solvent and log k correlated linearly with the dielectric constant for a given water/organic solvent system, but the lines for the different solvent systems had different slopes. A better correlation of log k was found with a combination of the solvatochromic factor, E_T(30), and the hydrogen-bond donor acidity factor, α. This suggests that the rate of reaction is influenced by the solvent polarity and also by specific solvation of the ionic reactant and product. Solvent effect on the reaction of SO₄^˙? with 2-propen-1-o1 was studied for comparison. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Cationic Reverse Micelles Create Water with Super Hydrogen‐Bond‐Donor Capacity for Enzymatic Catalysis: Hydrolysis of 2‐Naphthyl Acetate by α‐Chymotrypsin

Reverse micelles (RMs) are very good nanoreactors because they can create a unique microenvironment for carrying out a variety of chemical and biochemical reactions. The aim of the present work is to determine the influence of different RM interfaces on the hydrolysis of 2‐naphthyl acetate (2‐NA) by α‐chymotrypsin (α‐CT). The reaction was studied in water/benzyl‐n‐hexadecyldimethylammonium chloride (BHDC)/benzene RMs and, its efficiency compared with that observed in pure water and in sodium 1,4‐bis‐2‐ethylhexylsulfosuccinate (AOT) RMs. Thus, the hydrolysis rates of 2‐NA catalyzed by α‐CT were determined by spectroscopic measurements. In addition, the method used allows the joint evaluation of the substrate partition constant K_p between the organic and the micellar pseudophase and the kinetic parameters: catalytic rate constant k_cat, and the Michaelis constant K_M of the enzymatic reaction. The effect of the surfactant concentration on the kinetics parameters was determined at constant W₀=[H₂O]/[surfactant], and the variation of W₀ with surfactant constant concentration was investigated. The results show that the classical Michaelis–Menten mechanism is valid for α‐CT in all of the RMs systems studied and that the reaction takes place at both RM interfaces. Moreover, the catalytic efficiency values k_cat/K_M obtained in the RMs systems are higher than that reported in water. Furthermore, there is a remarkable increase in α‐CT efficiency in the cationic RMs in comparison with the anionic system, presumably due to the unique water properties found in these confined media. The results show that in cationic RMs the hydrogen‐bond donor capacity of water is enhanced due to its interaction with the cationic interface. Hence, entrapped water can be converted into “super‐water” for the enzymatic reaction studied in this work.