Applicability of Positive Cooperativity Model of Enzyme Catalysis on Surfactant-Mediated Reaction of Pararosaniline Hydrochloride Carbocation with Hydroxide Ion

The reaction of hydroxide ion with stabilized pararosaniline hydrochloride carbocation was investigated in the presence of cationic micelles of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and anionic micelles of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Pseudo-first-order kinetics were followed by the reaction system and rate constant depends on surfactant concentration. The reaction was strongly inhibited in the presence of SDS micelles whereas catalyzed in the presence of CTAB micelles. Micellar data were analyzed by applying positive cooperativity model of enzyme catalysis. The value of index of cooperativity (n) was greater than 1 for all reaction systems. Inhibitory and catalytic effect in the presence of micelles had been explained on the basis of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions of various species present in the reaction systems. Presence of counterions in the reaction system inhibited the reaction rate.