3- benzoic acid electrochemical generation

Tremendous effects have been made in studying the possibilities for the electrochemical generation and regeneration of inorganic redox agents like Cr(VI) V(V), Mn(III) Ce(IV) , and Co(in) and their application in the oxidation of aromatics. These studies are mainly performed by means of three types of reactions side-chain oxidations to form benzaldehydes, side-chain oxidations to generate benzoic acids, and nuclear oxidations for the synthesis of quinones (Scheme 1). 

Recently, interesting results have been obtained using the electrochemically generated ruthenium(IV) complex [(trpy)(bpy)RuO] in the oxidation ofp-xylene and p-toluic acid to terephthalic acid and of toluene to benzoic acid . The current yield is practically quantitative. After 100 turnovers about 75% of the redox catalyst can be recovered giving a turnover number of about 400 (Eq. (16)). 

Oturan MA, Pinson J. Hydroxylation by electrochemically generated OH radicals. Mono- and polyhydroxylation of benzoic acid products and isomers distribution. J Phys Chem 1995 99 13948-13954. 

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