Kolbe electrolysis current densities

Kolbe electrolysis is a powerful method of generating radicals for synthetic applications. These radicals can combine to symmetrical dimers (chap 4), to unsymmetrical coupling products (chap 5), or can be added to double bonds (chap 6) (Eq. 1, path a). The reaction is performed in the laboratory and in the technical scale. Depending on the reaction conditions (electrode material, pH of the electrolyte, current density, additives) and structural parameters of the carboxylates, the intermediate radical can be further oxidized to a carbocation (Eq. 1, path b). The cation can rearrange, undergo fragmentation and subsequently solvolyse or eliminate to products. This path is frequently called non-Kolbe electrolysis. In this way radical and carbenium-ion derived products can be obtained from a wide variety of carboxylic acids. 

The yield and selectivity of Kolbe electrolysis is determined by the reaction conditions and the structure of the carboxylate. The latter subject is treated in chaps 3, 4. Experimental factors that influence the outcome of the Kolbe electrolysis are the current density, the temperature, the pH, additives, the solvent, and the electrode material. 

Kolbe noted also the formation of traces of methyl acetate and butyl valerate from electrolysis of acetate and valerate respectively. Careful analysis of reaction products by Petersen (1900) identified compounds which are today formulated as being derived from carbocations formed by loss of one electron from the alkyl radical [50]. Propanoic acid gives mostly ethene while butanoic acid and 2-methyl-propanoic acid give mostly propene. Acetate and long chain alkylcarboxylates give mostly the Kolbe type dimer hydrocarbon on electrolysis of their potassium salts in concentrated solution at a platinum electrode, using high current density and low temperatures [51]. 

The electrolysis products of different carboxylates have been compared with the ionization potentials of the intermediate radicals. From this it appeared that alkyl radicals with gas-phase ionization potentials smaller than 8 eV mainly lead to carbenium ions. Accordingly, a-substituents such as carboxy, cyano or hydrogen support the radical pathway, whilst alkyl, cycloalkyl, chloro, bromo, amino, alkoxy, hydroxy, acyloxy or aryl more or less favor the route to carbenium ions. Besides electronic effects, the oxidation seems also to be influenced by steric factors. Bulky substituents diminish the extent of coupling. The main experimental factors that affect the yield in the Kolbe electrolysis are the current density, the pH of the electrolyte, ionic additives, the solvent and the anode material. 

If carboxylates are subjected to Kolbe electrolysis in the presence of olefins, the generated radicals add to the double bonds to afford mainly additive dimers (Table 8, entries 12-20). In vicinal disubstituted styrenes, upon addition of the Kolbe radical Me02CCH2, the yields of adducts decrease with increasing size of the /f-substituent H = 42%, Me = 27%, Et = 11%, /Pr = 5%, tBu = 2% [125]. The ratio of additive dimer 87 (Eq. 11) to monomer 89 can be changed to some extent by the current density i. Upon electrolysis of trifluoroacetate in MeCN-H20-(Pt) in an undivided cell in the presence of electron-deficient olefins, additive dimers and additive monomers are obtained. The selectivity can be controlled by current density, temperature and the substitution pattern of the olefin [126]. Trifluoromethylation of various aromatic compounds with -M substituents has been achieved in satisfactory yield via electrolysis of pyridinium trifluoroacetate in acetonitrile [127]. 

A system showing a much clearer sonochemical influence was the crossed Kolbe electrolysis [43] of a mixture containing C5 H11 COO H and Ce H13 OCH2COOH (10 1 molar ratio), known to give both one- and two-electron products, respectively. Current densities ranging from 50 up to 400 mA cm were used both in silent conditions and under sonication. It was seen that the two-electron... 

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