Function of the Metallomicelle from an Aza-Crown Ether Complex with an Acetamide Branch as a Highly Potent Promoter of Phosphate Diester Hydrolytic Cleavage

This study reports the synthesis method of a new aza-crown ether with an acetamide branch ligand, 2-(1,10-dioxa-4,7,13,16-tetraaza-cyclooctadec-4-yl)-acetamide (L), and determines the chemical composition of the cerium complex containing the aza-crown ether ligand by a new fluorescence spectrophotometric method. In the report, the cerium complex and its metallomicellar systems were used as catalysts in the hydrolysis of bis(4-nitrophenyl)phosphate ester (BNPP), and their catalytic activity was studied by the comparative method. The interaction between the metallomicelle and BNPP was proved by the fluorescence spectrum. The catalytic rate of BNPP hydrolysis was measured kinetically using the UV-Vis spectrophotometric method. The results indicated that the metallomicellar system of the anionic surfactant exhibited excellent catalytic function and relatively higher catalytic activity than that of the complex solution, the metallomicelle of nonionic and cationic surfactants, and the micelle provided an effective catalytic environment for the catalytic reaction. The experimental results also showed that the best acidity for the metallomicelle catalysis is pH 8.0, and the mono-hydroxy complex may be the real active species uaed as a catalyst in BNPP catalytic hydrolysis. The reaction mechanism was proposed on the basis of the research results.