Abstract
Hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl acetate (PNPA) and p-nitrophenyldiphenyl phosphate (PNPDPP) by N-chloro compounds in micellar solution were studied. N,N'-dichloroisocyanuric acid sodium salt (DCI) in cetyltrimethylammonium chloride (CTACl) micellar solution gave pseudo first-order kinetics. But, DCI in cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTABr) micellar solution showed typical series first-order kinetics - fast hydrolysis of the esters and concomitant slow decay of the hydrolyzed product, p-nitrophenolate. The hydrolysis rate was decreased as the hydrophobicity of N-chloro compounds was increased, which is the opposite trend to the usual bimolecular micellar reaction. This curious behavior of the N-chloro compounds in the catalytic hydrolysis of PNPA and PNPDPP in a cationic micellar system can be best explained by participation of counter ions of the surfactants during hydrolysis.