Aggregation and catalytic activity of 2-hydroxybenzylated polyethyleneimines in water-organic solutions

The aggregation of 2-hydroxybenzylated derivatives of polyethyleneimine in a water-DMF medium in the absence and in the presence of cationic surfactants was studied. The catalytic activity of modified polyethyleneimines in hydrolysis of phosphorus acid esters depends on the pH of the medium and increases with the formation of polymer-colloidal complexes. The polymer-colloidal complexes based on surfactants with two hydroxyethyl substituents in the head group have the maximum catalytic activity (increase in the reaction rate by up to three orders of magnitude).