HYDROLYSIS OF ASPIRIN STUDIED BY SPECTROPHOTOMETRIC AND FLUOROMETRIC VARIABLE-TEMPERATURE KINETICS

Pseudo-first-order rate constants for the hydrolysis of acetylsalicyli c acid as a function of temperature have been obtained by variable-tem perature kinetic experiments. A method, based on a generalization of n on-isothermal analysis, has been used that takes advantage of the capa bilities of modern data collection and processing systems. Both spectr ophotometric and, for the first time under nonisothermal conditions, f luorometric measurements have been carried out. The results obtained a re identical to those obtained under the same conditions but using tra ditional constant-temperature kinetic runs. This provides the possibil ity of reducing the amounts of time and chemicals usually spent in col lecting kinetic data in mechanistic studies in solution by an order of magnitude.