INTERFACIAL PROPERTIES ON THE SYNTHESIS OF ETHER-ESTER COMPOUNDS BY LIQUID-LIQUID PHASE-TRANSFER CATALYSIS

Interfacial tensions between water/n-hexane and water/toluene in the s ynthesis of ether-ester compounds by phase-transfer catalysis were mea sured. These two-phase systems contained phase-transfer catalysts, an aqueous-phase reactant, and/or alkaline. It was shown that the measure d data could be well described by the Gibbs adsorption equation couple d with the Langmuir monolayer isotherm. In addition, the interfacial p arameters such as the surface excess and adsorption constant determine d in one-compound systems allowed one to predict the surface pressure of the present practical liquid-liquid phase-transfer-catalyzed system s. Other interfacial properties of species such as the molecular area and ion-pair dissociation constant were also evaluated.