Following Multi-Component Reactions in Liquid Medium Using Spectral Band-Fitting Techniques

Abstract

The kinetics of the hydrolysis reaction of p-nitrophenyl butyrate catalyzed by a single-site mutant of Fusarium solani pisi cutinase, supported on zeolite NaY by adsorption, was followed using ultraviolet–visible (UV/Vis) in situ diode array spectrophotometry. Spectral band-fitting techniques allowed the use of in situ diode array spectrophotometry to obtain quantitative data on the concentrations of the various species present in an aqueous reaction medium even in the presence of the solid catalyst particles, which interfere with the absorption measurements. This technique overcame the problems arising from the variable light scattering produced by these highly dispersible catalyst particles. Kinetic modeling of the reaction system was used to compute estimates of the reaction rate constants involved.