Hydrolytic cleavage of bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate by Schiff base MnIII complexes containing morpholine pendants in Gemini 16-6-16 micelles

Catalytic efficiency of two Schiff base manganese(III) complexes toward the hydrolysis of bis(p-nitrophenyl) phosphate (BNPP) was evaluated in a micellar media formed by bis(hexadecyl-dimethylammonium)hexane bromide (abbr. 16-6-16, 2Br−) at 25°C. Effects of various reaction conditions on the hydrolysis of BNPP were systematically investigated. The observations obtained indicate that the two Mn(III) catalysts can efficiently promote hydrolysis of BNPP with a six order of magnitude rate enhancement relative to the background rate constant (k0). Different structures of the two complexes lend to their distinguishing activities each other. Furthermore, rates of BNPP hydrolysis in Gemini 16-6-16 micellar medium are much higher than that in hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and n-lauroylsarcosine sodium (LSS) micelles.