Abstract

A copper-containing polymer was prepared by free radical polymerization of a copper(II)–vinylbipyridyl complex with trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate. Hydrolysis of a phosphate monoester, 4-nitrophenyl phosphate, a diester, bis-4-nitrophenyl phosphate, and a triester, methyl parathion (O,O-dimethyl O-p-nitrophenyl phosphorothioate), in water–methanol (85∶15) at pH 8.1 was investigated and compared to the hydrolytic ability of the analogous monomeric copper complex. Using the Michaelis–Menten formalism to characterize apparent catalytic constants, the rate of hydrolysis (k_cat) for each phosphate ester substrate was found to be about an order of magnitude faster and the K_m values up to two orders of magnitude lower for the polymeric catalysts compared to the homogeneous monomeric catalysts. The methyl parathion polymeric hydrolysis rate was 6.7 × 10⁵ times faster than the uncatalyzed rate. Reasons for the enhanced catalytic activity, particularly at low substrate concentrations, are discussed.