CHED 946 |
| We are using a naturally occurring clay mineral, hectorite (of the smectite family), to carry out intercalation reaction with dicationic quaternary ammonium Gemini surfactants. These novel, clay-supported catalysts will be used to study the kinetics of the SN2 displacement reaction converting n-butyl bromide to n-butyl chloride. Since Gemini surfactants are much more surface active than conventional surfactants containing a single cation (classical quaternary ammonium or phosphonium salts), it is interesting to see how they behave catalytically in a triphase system using toluene as the organic phase and water to dissolve the nuleophile. Triphase catalysis (TC) is a unique form of phase transfer catalysis (PTC) which greatly simplifies catalyst recovery and reuse. We have already synthesized several Gemini surfactants and developed clay supported catalysts for the triphase reaction. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Physical Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |