ERYTHROMYCIN-A AS A SUPRAMOLECULAR CATALYST - EFFECT ON RHODAMINE B LACTONIZATION

The intramolecular lactonization reaction of rhodamine B base in chloroform solution is remarkably accelerated by the antibiotic erythromycin A. The rate increases by a factor of ca. 1010, a value significantly higher than typical enzymatic factors. This effect is ascribed to the formation of a host-guest complex between the dye and the antibiotic, a process that induces a conformational change conducive to the rehybridization of the central carbon atom of the dye. © 1990, American Chemical Society. All rights reserved.