Hydrolysis of 2,4-Dinitrochlorobenzene Catalyzed by Cationic Micelles

Abstract

Micellar catalysis by nine cationic surfactants of the basic hydrolysis of 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene(DNCB) was studied. The results obtained are as follows: (I) The second-order constants k₂ for the hydrolysis reaction of DNCB catalized by the cationic micelles increase by a factor of 11–100 than that in water. Plots of k₂ against the surfactant concentration show an S-type curve, and the catalytic effect is observed below the critical micelle concentration(CMC) of the surfactants. (2) For a series of surfactants, there is an optimal chain length for the alkyl of the surfactants to show the greatest catalytic effect. (3) The hydrolysis rate of DNCB decreases as the base concentration increases. (4) For the surfactants with the same hydrophilic and hydrophobic groups, chlorides have advantage over bromides in enhancing the reaction rate. These results can be interpreted in term of the changes in CMC, micelle size, solubilization capacity of the micelles, binding degree of counterion et al.