Oil‐in‐water microemulsions based on chemodegradable surfactants as reaction media

The reaction of 2‐(p‐nitrophenyl)ethyl bromide with hydroxide ion was studied in oil‐in‐water (o/w) microemulsions at 50°C. The octane‐in‐water microemulsion systems were stabilized by chemodegradable cyclic acetal‐type cationic surfactants as [(2‐alky‐1,3‐dioxolan‐4‐yl)methyl]trimethylammonium bromides Ia–c (alkyl: a = n‐C9H19; b = C11H23; c = C13H27) and butan‐1‐ol as co‐surfactant. The rate constants were also determined in the corresponding aqueous micelles and in water. The hydrolytic lability of Ia–c in the microemulsion systems was achieved at 50°C by acid hydrolysis of the 1,3‐dioxolane ring. Systematic synthetic studies of the dehydrobromination were performed in order to develop a preparative approach for the product separation without unfavourable process such as foaming and emulsification.