Catalysis by stearyltrimethylammonium bromide of the reaction between long chain alkanethiols and p-nitrophenyl acetate

Abstract

The effect of stearyltrimethylammonium bromide (stab) upon the reaction between alkanethiols and p-nitrophenyl acetate has been examined in aqueous solution; below the critical micellar concentration (c.m.c.) of stab, the activities of thiols decrease with increasing carbon chain length, whereas, above the c.m.c., dodecanethiol is some 10⁴ fold more reactive than in the absence of stab at pH 9.