ENHANCED REACTIVITIES OF “NAKED” METAL ION AND WATER AFFORDED IN REVERSED MICELLES

Abstract
Through the kinetic studies on the hydrolysis of norleucine p-nitrophenyl ester in the AOT/CCl4 reversed micelles cosolubilizing aqueous cupric nitrate, we observed evidence of the “naked” copper(II) ion which easily forms a complex with the substrate ester (log kf=8∼9) and “free” water molecule acting as an effective nucleophile on the labile complex (kH2O=0.2∼0.8 M−1 s−1).