Mechanism of Enzyme Action.

In recent years, studies of the reaction rates of small molecules in the presence of synthetic polymers containing catalytically active functions have contributed significantly to the understanding of the mechanism of enzyme behavior. Of particular interest in the field of polymeric catalysis have been the studies of the solvolyses of esters catalyzed by polymers containing pendent imidazole groups because the imidazole moiety has been shown to play a prolific role in enzymatic reactions. It was of interest to determine whether cooperative, catalytic interactions would occur between two different functional groups within a vinyl polymer chain and a substrate. Systems chosen for reporting here were two copolymers of 45-vinylimidazole and vinyl alcohol and one copolymer of 45-vinylimidazole and p-vinylphenol. In order to determine whether the pendent imidazole and hydroxyl groups were involved in any cooperative catalytic interactions with the substrates, the catalytic activities of the imidazole-alcohol copolymers, poly-45-vinylimidazole and imidazole were compared over a range of pH utilizing the esters PNPA, NABA and NABS. This was also done with the phenol copolymer.