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Evidence for a Hydroxide Ion Catalyzed Pathway in Ester Hydrolysis in Supercritical Water
Author(s) -
Oka Hiroyuki,
Yamago Shigeru,
Yoshida Junichi,
Kajimoto Okitsugu
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/1521-3773(20020215)41:4<623::aid-anie623>3.0.co;2-1
Subject(s) - supercritical fluid , hydrolysis , hydroxide , chemistry , catalysis , proton , ion , carboxylic acid , ester hydrolysis , acid catalysis , organic chemistry , inorganic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics
Not protons but hydroxide ions catalyze ester hydrolysis in supercritical water when the concentration of carboxylic acid generated by hydrolysis is low, as in the initial stage of the reaction. As the concentration of carboxylic acid increases with the progress of the reaction, the mechanism would become proton catalyzed (see scheme).