Introduction electrosynthesis

Using ultramicroelectrodes, it is possible to study reactions under the conditions of synthesis, including electrosynthesis. An example is the electrohydrodimerisation of acrylonitrile to adiponitrile (Scheme 6.11, top) mentioned in the introduction in industry this is typically carried out with an emulsion of acrylonitrile in an aqueous phosphate buffer as electrolyte. At substrate concentrations in the mM level, the reduction of acrylonitrile takes another route leading to saturation of the C—C double bond (Scheme 6.11, bottom). This precludes studies of the dimerisation using substrate concentrations at the mM level and thereby working electrodes of conventional sizes. The transition between the two mechanisms could be studied conveniently using an ultramicro electrode as the working electrode... 

Weinberg, N. L., Introduction to Industrial Organic Synthesis. in Electrosynthesis From Laboratory to Pilot to Production Genders, J. D. Pletcher, D., Eds. The Electrosynthesis Company Inc. Elmhurst, New York 1990, pp. 1-13. 

The introduction of ultrasound into electrosynthesis can offer several advantages. First, the resulting increase in... 

This chapter comprises a brief introduction to electrosynthesis, with reference to electroanalysis, a domain where, with physical electrochemistry, there have been striking developments from combination with ultrasound. Readers interested in the application of ultrasound at some other point in the electrochemical procedure, for example to clean electrodes prior to making up the cell, or in pretreatment of electrolytes, are directed towards a more extensive review of sono-electrochemistry. ... 

In the electrosynthesis of arylzinc compounds in acetonitrile, a stoichiometric amount of zinc ions was essential to stabilize the electrogenerated cobalt(I). In most cases, these zinc ions were electrogenerated in the medium by reduction of 1,2-dibromoethane along with the oxidation of a zinc anode prior to the introduction of the reagents (Scheme 15.23). 

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