Research Initiation Award: An Investigation of Admicellar Catalysis

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Admicellar catalysis, a novel technique to enhance reaction rates and selectivities. will be investigated. The hydrolysis of ethyl benzoate has been selected as a model reaction. The catalysis by a cationic surfactant adsorbed on porous silica will be studied over a range of surface coverages, support surface areas, and porosities, and solution pH and reactant concentrations. The objectives are (1) the quantitative evaluation of admicellar catalysis, and (2) the clarification of the morphology of the adsorbed surfactant aggregates. Admicellar catalysis is similar in many ways to micellar catalysis. Exploitation of micellar catalysis is discourage by the difficulty of product separation from the catalyst. The significant advantages of admicellar catalysis are expected to include (1) easy separation of the catalyst from the product, and (2) enhanced reaction rates and selectivities due to the particular characteristics of adsorbed surfactant aggregates. the results of this study may lead to new, efficient catalytic processes for production of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, and other highly specific reaction products, and to new processes for hazardous chemical detoxification. In addition, this study should provide new knowledge on absorbed surfactant aggregate structures. This information is of great practical importance to the fields of detergency, enhanced oil recovery, and numerous other areas.