Experimental Factors and Methods of Investigation of Electroorganic Reactions

Abstract

Electroorganic reactions are often a combination of two processes, the electrode process (E) and the chemical process (C), cf. Fig. 2.1. This sequence may be repeated or the processes E and C may be combined in different ways such as e.g. EEC, ECE, CECE. The sequence may also be CE. The basis of inducing the electrochemical process E is a heterogeneous electron transfer between the electrode and the substrate which, primarily, without subsequent reactions, leads to the formation of a reactive intermediate, i.e. to a radical ion, a cation, an anion or to a radical, depending on the electron configuration of the starting substance (the substrate, the educt) and on the type of the redox processes, i.e. the oxidation or the reduction. Unless the chemical processes are considered, the E type reactions take into account the following possibilities (2–1): Keeping all other experimental conditions constant, the fundamental factor which affects an electrochemical process E, is the electrode potential.