Kinetics and Mechanism of the Hydrolysis of 4-Bromo-2,6-Dimethylphenyl Phosphate Monoester

Abstract

Hydrolysis of 4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenyl phosphate monoester has been carried out in acid (HCl) solution at 97 ± 0.5°C and the inorganic phosphate obtained during hydrolysis has been estimated colorimetrically. Pseudo first order rate coefficients have been calculated. Neutral and conjugate acid species have been found to be reactive and contribute to the overall hydrolysis in the acid region. The calculated rate coefficients are in good agreement with the experimentally observed ones. The effects of temperature, solvent and substrate concentration on the rate of hydrolysis have been studied. The results suggest that the hydrolysis of monoester occurs by the cleavage of P—O bond.