Name: Denicia Knutt (809001149) Name: Kerilene Pierre Date: Friday 16th September, 2011

Lab Day: Friday Week 2 Experiment 8

Experiment 8: Activation Energies for an Enzyme- Catalyzed and Acid- Catalyzed Hydrolysis

Theory: A Catalyst is any substance that increases the rate of reaction without itself being consumed by that said reaction. In catalyzed reactions, the catalyst and reactant form chemical intermediates that are able to react more readily thus increasing the feasibility of products being produced at a faster rate of reaction. Salicin is a compound very similar to aspirin found in the barks of willow trees and is used to treat headaches, fever etc. In this experiment, a comparison of the activation energies for the hydrolysis of salicin via acid catalysis or enzyme catalysis is being made.

The above reaction shows the general hydrolysis of salicin, in an aqueous environment which can catalyzed by the enzyme emulsion or by a strong acid such as hydrochloric acid. In the enzyme catalyzed reaction the substrate salicin [S] attaches itself at the active site of Emulsin [E] to the enzyme substrate complex [ES]. The enzyme- substrate complex dissociates to produce, the product. E + salicin ------ Saligenin + E

In this reaction salicin is in excess of the enzyme emulsion. As a result the enzyme is effectively saturated with the substrate. Therefore the addition of more substrate will accelerate the rate of the reaction. Enzyme- substrate complex and rate is independent of the salicin concentration and will obey the zero- order reaction. In the acid hydrolyzed reaction, the hydrochloric acid is in excess hence the concentration of the salicin determines the rate of reaction. In both enzymes catalyze reaction and hydrolysis reaction, the saligenin reacts with sodium hydroxide.