Solvent effects on the kinetics of alkaline hydrolysis of dimethylacetylacetone. Part I. Influence of alcohol–water mixtures

Abstract

The kinetics of the alkaline cleavage of dimethylacetylacetone have been studied conductimetrically in a series of alcohol–water mixtures. The high negative value of the activation entropy in aqueous solutions, and the behaviour of the system in alcohol–water mixtures, shows that the reaction is similar to the alkaline hydrolysis of esters. However the variation of activation enthalpy in a highly aqueous ethanol solution can best be interpreted in terms of a change in solvent structure.