Self-Organization and Catalytic Activity of the Poly(ethylene glycol)(10) Monododecyl Ether/Poly(ethyleneimine)/Lanthanum Nitrate System

The self-organization of the poly(ethylene glycol)(10)monododecyl ether (C12EO10)/poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI)/La(III)/water multicomponent system has been examined in the micellar and liquid-crystalline ranges. A step-by-step investigation of the catalytic effect toward the cleavage of phosphorus acid esters was performed for the following series: single C12EO10 micelles → ternary C12EO10/PEI/water micellar system → quaternary C12EO10/PEI/La(III)/water micellar system → liquid-crystalline mesophase. The quaternary system was found to be an effective nanosized catalyst, demonstrating the complex mechanism of the catalytic action under mild conditions (25 °C, pH ≈ 8.0) and the substrate specificity toward the more hydrophobic phosphonate. A marked (ca. 1000-fold) acceleration of the reaction studied as compared to the basic hydrolysis of the substrates was achieved.