Reduction potentials alkali metals

These studies of reduction of benzenoid aromatics reveal that the solvent, the electrolyte cation, the current density and the water content are all important variables. In general it is important to have a rather negative potential (large TAA+) and a proton source (water) present under conditions where hydrogen evolution or attack on the solvent does not occur. Under such conditions difunctional molecules can be selectively reduced by control over the number of Faradays/mole which are passed. This kind of predictable selectivity should give the electrochemical method real advantage over alkali metal reductions and the possibility to use materials other than liquid ammonia and alkali metal is quite attractive. 

The polarographic reduction of i/4-diene complexes was first noted for [M(i/4-l,4-quinone)Cp] (M = Rh or Ir, quinone = duroquinone or 2,6-di(t-butyl)quinone), which show one two-electron wave (M = Ir), or two one-electron waves (M = Rh) at potentials more negative than those of the free quinone (575). The cyclopentadienone compounds [M(i/4-C5R40)Cp] (M = CoorRh, R = Ph or C6F5) undergo reversible one-electron reduction to radical anions (e.g., M = Co, R = Ph, E° = — 1.46 V in thf). The cobalt complexes, more stable than those of rhodium, are generated by alkali metal reduction at 100 K and show ESR spectra characteristic of metal-based d9 species (374). 

At high current densities (above 0.8 A/cm ) and vanadium concentrations of 0.26-0.41 wt% the cathode potential shifts to the region of alkali metal formation (Figures 4.5.16 and 4.5.18). It is important to note that, in somewhat more concentrated vanadium-containing melts, voltammograms showed that the potential of alkali metal reduction cannot be reached, even at current densities as high as 40 A/cm. ... 

These facts would suggest that die electrolysis of molten alkali metal salts could lead to the inuoduction of mobile elecU ons which can diffuse rapidly through a melt, and any chemical reduction process resulting from a high chemical potential of the alkali metal could occur in the body of the melt, rather than being conhned to the cathode volume. This probably explains the failure of attempts to produce tire refractoty elements, such as titanium, by elecU olysis of a molten sodium chloride-titanium chloride melt, in which a metal dust is formed in the bulk of the elecU olyte. 

A major advance in the art of effecting Birch reductions was the discovery by Wilds and Nelson that lithium reduced aromatic steroids much more efficiently than had hitherto been possible with sodium or potassium. The superiority originally was attributed to the somewhat higher reduction potential of lithium as compared to the other alkali metals. Later work showed that the following explanation is more probable. ... 

Be is much less than that of its congeners, again indicating its lower electropositivity. By contrast, Ca, Sr, Ba and Ra have reduction potentials which are almost identical with those of the heavier alkali metals Mg occupies an intermediate position. 

Alkali and alkaline-earth metals have the most negative standard reduction potentials these potentials are (at least in ammonia, amines, and ethers) more negative than that of the solvated-electron electrode. As a result, alkali metals (M) dissolve in these highly purified solvents [9, 12] following reactions (1) and (2) to give the well-known blue solutions of solvated electrons. 

At some negative potentials, one could expect implantation of metal atoms obtained by the reduction of, for example, alkali metal cations.7... 

Whatever the best explanation may be, an indication that allylic alkali metal compounds or allylic carbanions do in fact form the less stable of the two possible acids on neutralization is found in the results of the reduction of aromatic compounds by dissolving metals.376The detection of a paramagnetic intermediate in a similar system and polaro-graphic evidence indicate a one electron transfer in the rate and potential determining step.878 376 The mechanism therefore involves ions (or organometallic intermediates) like the following ... 

A number of differently sized crown ethers were synthesized and the shift of the first reduction potential was found for each compound in the presence of excess alkali metal tosylate. The shifts were all between 60 and 70 mV for compound [50] but the larger crowns displayed larger shifts (Table 10). In contrast to the expected order of the magnitudes of the shifts from ion pairing effects alone, K+ with compound [51] yields the largest potential shift followed by Rb+>Na+>Cs+>Li+. 

Table 10 Anodic shifts (mV) in the formal reduction potentials of [50]—[53] upon addition of alkali metal cations.

It is tempting to relate the thermodynamics of electron-transfer between metal atoms or ions and organic substrates directly to the relevant ionization potentials and electron affinities. These quantities certainly play a role in ET-thermo-dynamics but the dominant factor in inner sphere processes in which the product of electron transfer is an ion pair is the electrostatic interaction between the product ions. Model calculations on the reduction of ethylene by alkali metal atoms, for instance [69], showed that the energy difference between the M C2H4 ground state and the electron-transfer state can be... 

Cesium is highly reactive. It is the most electropositive metal-more electropositive and reactive than other alkali metals of lower atomic numbers. The standard redox potential E° for the reduction Cs+ -i- e — Cs is -3.026 V. It reacts explosively with water, forming cesium hydroxide, CsOH and hydrogen ... 

A rich variety of reagents and methods have been applied to generate radical ions. As illustrated above, the first methods were chemical redox reactions. Radical anions have long been generated via reduction by alkali metals. Because of the high reduction potentials of these metals, the method is widely applicable, and the reductions are essentially irreversible. 

Dianions of the type [P R ] , which were first generated by reduction of cyclophosphines with two equivalents of alkali metals in TFIF, have chain structures. As such, they are potential synthons for the introduction of other elements into polyphosphine rings via metathesis reactions. More... 

Figure 8.11 Electrochemistry of nanotubes solubilized by direct sodium reduction. Background of the supporting electrolyte solution is shown with dashed line. The star indicates the irreversible anodic peak due to the oxidative stripping of the reduced alkali metal film. 2 mM tetrabutylammonium hydroxide/DMSO working electrode Pt disk (r = 25 pm) data recorded at 298K scan rate 1 V/s. Potentials are referenced to SCE. Reproduced with permission from Ref. 122. Copyright 2008 American Chemical Society.

The strength of metal ion solvation affects not only the half-wave potentials but also the rates of electrode reactions of metal ions. For the reduction of a given metal ion, the reaction rate tends to decrease with increasing strength of solvation. The linear relation in Fig. 8.5 was obtained for the reduction of a sodium ion AG°v(Na+) is the solvation energy of Na+ and ks is the standard rate constant at the formal potential [23 a].2 For alkali metal ions in the same solvent, the rate... 

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