Rate constant, phase-transfer catalysis

A complete theoretical and experimental analysis of capsule membrane phase transfer catalysis was done for the alkaline hydrolysis and oxidation of benzyl chloride. It is possible to determine both rate constant and equilibrium constant for the same data. There is 100% selectivity to benzyl alcohol and benzaldehyde. There is tremendous scope for research on various aspects of the CM-PTC and ICM-PTC techniques to be exploited for the intensification of rates of variety of multiphase reactions and selectivity of desired products. 

Interfacial electron-transfer reactions between polymer-bonded metal complexes and the substrates in solution phase were studied to show colloid aspects of polymer catalysis. A polymer-bonded metal complex often shows a specifically catalytic behavior, because the electron-transfer reactivity is strongly affected by the pol)rmer matrix that surrounds the complex. The electron-transfer reaction of the amphiphilic block copol)rmer-bonded Cu(II) complex with Fe(II)(phenanthroline)3 proceeded due to a favorable entropic contribution, which indicated hydrophobic environmental effect of the copolymer. An electrochemical study of the electron-transfer reaction between a poly(xylylviologen) coated electrode and Fe(III) ion gave the diffusion constants of mass-transfer and electron-exchange and the rate constant of electron-transfer in the macromolecular domain. 

Akinetic study was also performed in a variety of vesicular solutions (DDAB, DODAB, DODAC [NaOH] = 2.25mM, 25 °C). Interestingly, the vesicles possess stronger catalytic reaction environments than the micelles. The rate-determining proton transfer from carbon to the hydroxide ion was accelerated up to 850 fold in di- -dodecyldimethylam-monium bromide (DDAB) vesicles. This is evidence that the reaction sides are less aqueous than those in micelles, as anticipated. Application of the pseudophase model afforded the bimolecular rate constants in the vesicles (kves). For the different vesicles, ves is significantly higher (ca. 12 times for DODAB) than the second-order rate constant in water. This shows that the catalysis is due to both a medium effect and a concentration effect. It was assumed that there was a fast equilibrium for substrate binding to the inner and outer leaflets of the bilayer, in accord with the fact that no two-phase kinetics were found. 

From the mechanism of micellar catalysis outlined in Scheme 6 the ratio kjky, gives the difference between the free energy of activation in the micellar phase and in the bulk aqueous phase. For bimolecular reactions an apparent rate enhancement of 10 to 10 can result from the higher concentration of reactants in the smaller volume of micelles given by RT In VJ where and are the respective volumes of micelle and aqueous phases. This acceleration can occur even if the rate constants within the two phases are identical. To observe this maximum rate enhancement resulting from a simple concentration effect, the free energy of transfer of the reactant from the aqueous to the micellar phase must be more than enough to offset the loss of entropy from its restriction to a smaller volume within the micelle. 

In catalysis the excess of a phosphine ligand is often necessary because it preserves the active species in the medium [2a]. However, it retards to some extent the co-ordination of the alkene to the metal center. Recent studies, performed by Monflier and coworkers, have shown that the water-soluble TPPTS ligand could reduce the rate of the reaction by another effect. Indeed, TPPTS can be included partially in the cyclodextrin hydrophobic cavity [53,54] NMR measurements, observation by UV-visible spectroscopy and circular dichroism, as well as scanning tunneling microscopy are consistent with a 1 1 inclusion complex in which the phosphorus atom would be incorporated into the torus of the /S-CD. NMR investigations carried out on (m-sulfonatophenyl)diphenylphosphine have shown that a phenyl group is incorporated [55]. Thus, the phosphorus ligand could modify the association constant of the alkene with the cyclodextrin so that the mass transfer between the two phases could be decreased. 

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