Erythromycin A as a Supramolecular Catalyst: Effect on Rhodamine B Lactonization

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00310a016

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.