Abstract: | The catalytic hydrolysis of phenyl esters in systems containing ß-cyclodextrin (ß-CD) and polyelectrolytes was investigated. Poly(methacrylic acid) was found to exhibit an inhibition effect on the hydrolysis, while poly(sodium styrenesulfonate) (NaPSS) shows a pronounced acceleration effect on the hydrolysis: the larger the molecular weight and the lower the degree of substitution, the greater is the acceleration effect. On the other hand, sodium ethylbenzenesulfonate and sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate inhibit the reaction. The acceleration of the reaction in presence of NaPSS is attributed to the concentration of ß-CD and the substrate esters near to the chain of the macromolecule, through inclusion effects and hydrophobic interactions. |