Current location: JICS Archive > Vol. 6 > No. 3 > Reviews : 1

Mechanistic Study of Homogeneous Reactions Coupled with Electrochemical Oxidation of Catechols

D. Nematollahi^a,*, M. Rafiee^b and L. Fotouhi^c

^aFaculty of Chemistry, Bu-Ali-Sina University, Hamadan 65174, Iran
^bDepartment of Chemistry, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Gavazang,  Zanjan 45195-1159, Iran
^cDepartment of Chemistry, School of Science, Alzahra University, P.O. Box 1993891176, Tehran, Iran

The electrochemical oxidation of catechols was described and has shown that these compounds can be oxidized to related o-benzoquinones. The electrochemically generated o-benzoquinones are quite reactive and can be attacked by a variety of nucleophiles under various mechanistic disciplines such as CE, EC, EC^', ECE, ECEC, ECEC₂, ECECE, ECECEC, ECECECE and trimerization, in which E represents an electron transfer at the electrode surface, and C represents a homogeneous chemical reaction. The mechanistic pathways and final products are depending on some parameters such as electron withdrawing or donating properties of nucleophile, electrolysis medium (solvent, acidity or pH) and nature of catechol.

Keywords: Catechol, Mechanistic study, Electrochemical oxidation, Homogeneous coupled chemical reaction, Cyclic voltammetry