Abstract
The acceleration, by a factor of 2500, of the hydrolysis of endo-5-[4''(5'')imidazolyl]bicyclo[2.2.1]hept-endo-2-yl trans-cinnamate by 0.5 M sodium benzoate in 42 mol % dioxane in water can be explained without resort to operation of a charge-relay mechanism similar to that often postulated to account for the enzymatic activity of serine proteases. The degree of ionization of 4-methylimidazole and of sodium benzoate in 42 mol % dioxane in water at 60.degree. C were measured by NMR spectroscopy.