Reaction Acceleration Promoted by Partial Solvation at the Gas/Solution Interface

The kinetics of organic reactions of different types in microvolumes (droplets, thin films, and sealed tubes) show effects of gas/solution interfacial area, reaction molecularity and solvent polarity. Partial solvation at the gas/solution interface is a major contributor to the 10(4)-fold reaction acceleration seen in bimolecular but not unimolecular reactions in microdroplets. Reaction acceleration can be used to manipulate selectivity by solvent choice.

Automated summary

The kinetics of organic reactions in microvolumes are influenced by factors such as gas/solution interfacial area, reaction molecularity, and solvent polarity. Partial solvation at the gas/solution interface significantly accelerates bimolecular reactions in microdroplets, and this reaction acceleration can be controlled by selecting an appropriate solvent for manipulating selectivity.