Electrode reactions, organic, bond

The reaction mechanisms of organic electrode reactions are thus composed of at least one ET step at the electrode as well as preceding and follow-up bond-breaking, bond-forming, or structural rearrangement steps. These chemical steps may be concerted with the electron transfer [15, 16]. The instrumental techniques described in this chapter allow the investigation of the course of the reaction accompanying the overall electrolysis. 

One of the currently most promising approaches to a quantitative theory of electron transfer at an electrode is that of Marcus, whose fundamental assumption is that only a weak electronic interaction of the two reactants is required for a simple electron transfer process to occur. Interesting and significant deductions have been made quantum mechanically for simple electrode reaction in which no rupture or formation of chemical bonds occurs in the electron transfer step. The elaboration of the theory to include bond rupture is of obvious importance for the treatment of organic electrode processes. 

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