Pulse polarograms for reduction of diphenyliodonium halides in dimethylformamide containing tetramethylammonium perchlorate exhibit either three or four waves, depending on the concentrations of supporting electrolyte and starting material. In the presence of 0.1 M tetramethylammonium perchlorate, diphenyliodonium bromide exhibits three waves (I, II, and III) when the concentration of starting material is lower than 0.74 m M; for higher concentrations of diphenyliodonium bromide, the first wave splits and the pulse polarogram consists of four waves (Ia, Ib, II, and III). For electrolyses of diphenyliodonium bromide at potentials corresponding to either wave Ia or wave, Ib, diphenylmercury and iodobenzene are obtained and the coulometric n value is unity. At potentials on wave II, diphenylmercury and benzene are formed and the n value is three. For electrolyses done at potentials on wave III, the yields of benzene and diphenylmercury as well as the n value are potential dependent. At a sufficiently negative potential, benzene is the only product of a four-electron reduction of the diphenyliodonium cation. Wave Ia for a diphenyliodonium halide is attributed to reduction of the phenyl mercuric halide resulting from reaction of starting material with mercury, whereas wave Ib is caused by reduction of solution-soluble diphenyliodonium cations. Wave II arises from reduction of iodobenzene (a product formed by processes associated with the appearance of waves Ia and Ib), and wave III is due to reduction of adsorbed phenylmercury radicals (the other species formed by reactions responsible for waves Ia and Ib). These conclusions have been substantiated by independent pulse polarographic, cyclic voltammetric, and coulometric studies of phenyl mercuric halides.
Read full abstract