Electrochemical reactions classified cleavages

Organic electrochemical reactions are classified in the same way as other organic reactions [1,2]. The most important prototypes include additions (Scheme 6.1) [ 13,14], eliminations (Scheme 6.2) [15, 16], substitutions (Scheme 6.3) [17, 18], couplings and dimerisations (Scheme 6.4) [19-21], cleavages (Scheme 6.5) [22,23], and catalytic reactions (Scheme 6.6) [24,25]. Hundreds of other examples maybe found in the literature [1,2]. 

Electroreduction of esters (R COOR ) is classified into three types of reaction. The first type of reaction is the reductive cleavage of a bond between oxygen and R. This type of reaction is similar to the cathodic reduction of alcohols (Sect. 7.2) and ethers (Sect. 7.3). That is, activated esters such as allylic and benzylic esters are electrochemically reduced to the corresponding hydrocarbons and acids (Schemes) [1,16,19-21]. 

Electrochemical cleavage reactions are not easily accommodated within a general scheme. In many cases they might well be classified as substitution processes however, the preparative outcome normally would seem to make the reaction conform more closely with a cleavage process. 

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