Reaction in Biphasic Water/Organic Solvent System in the Presence of Surfactant: Inverse Phase Transfer Catalysis versus Interfacial Catalysis

Unexpected results obtained during the study of the influence of surfactant concentration on chalcone epoxidation by H2O2 in a water/heptane two-phase system in the presence of a surfactant (DTAB) led us to reconsider the catalytic mechanism of this reaction. Two stirring rates experiments, either low speed (i.e. 100 rpm) or high speed (i.e. 1200 rpm), lead us to discuss kinetic results on the basis of two competitive catalytic processes: an Inverse Phase Transfer Catalysis (IPTC) or an Interfacial Catalysis (IC).