ABSTRACT
The alkaline hydrolysis of both of the sulfonate esters (18) is enhanced by the addition of cationic electrolyte and polysoap . The hydrophobic character of the catalysts plays only a small role in the hydrolysis of the acetate (18a), whereas a six-fold rate increase is seen from electrostatic effects. The long-chain ester (18b) hydrolysis rate shows both electrostatic and hydrophobic effects; the most efficient catalyst, the hexadecylimidazolinium polymer (16b), gives a 45-fold increase in the hydrolysis rate of the lauroyl ester (18b). Israel et ale conclude that the hydrophobic interactions play a major role in the rate increase of the hydrolyses, and that the polymeric micelles provide the characteristics of both polyelectrolytes and micelles and therefore give higher rate enhancements.
