Abstract
The oxidation of benzene, toluene and anisole was studied on lead dioxide electrodes and platinum and graphite anodes. Product analysis showed that partial oxidation of benzene to benzoquinone occurred on lead dioxide electrodes with up to 100% current efficiency in the lower potential region studied. At higher anodic potentials, with concurrent oxygen evolution, fragmentation occurred yielding maleic acid and CO 2. Work with a RDE showed that for benzene and toluene the oxidations were reaction-controlled in the lower potential regions and it was here that the effect of pH and reactant concentrations were studied. The reaction was second order with regard to the organic species and zero order in pH. In the case of anisole the reaction appeared to be mass transport controlled over the RDE rotation rate studied. The kinetic data and comparisons with reactions found on Pt and C tend to support the mechanism based on electrochemical formation of PbO 2 followed by a chemical reaction of this with the substrate, rather than the other, purely electrochemical mechanisms which have been recently proposed.
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