Irreversible redox reactions

Influence of the Kinetics of Electron Transfer on the Faradaic Current The rate of mass transport is one factor influencing the current in a voltammetric experiment. The ease with which electrons are transferred between the electrode and the reactants and products in solution also affects the current. When electron transfer kinetics are fast, the redox reaction is at equilibrium, and the concentrations of reactants and products at the electrode are those specified by the Nernst equation. Such systems are considered electrochemically reversible. In other systems, when electron transfer kinetics are sufficiently slow, the concentration of reactants and products at the electrode surface, and thus the current, differ from that predicted by the Nernst equation. In this case the system is electrochemically irreversible. 

An irreversible reaction of the intermediate of a redox reaction will greatly facilitate redox catalysis by thermodynamic control. A good example is the reduction of the carbon halogen bond where the irreversible reaction is the cleavage of the carbon halogen bond associated, or concerted, with the first electron transfer -pEe... 

These reactions are irreversible organic acid ions apparently behave in the reactions as oxidants, being converted into the corresponding alcohols and their esters [11,48], Reactions (23) and (24) take place only at high temperatures (> 150°Q and in the presence of a large excess of organic acid [11,48,58], These reactions are also possible for polynuclear clusters, because redox reactions occur readily and reversibly for them [50],... 

The complex Tb(TTFA) (o-phen) underwent a reduction at E --1.5 V vs. SCE which was partially reversible. An oxidation was not observed below +2 V. All redox reactions should be ligand-based processes. The potential difference of Ae > 3.5 V is energy sufficient to generate the IL triplet at 2.56 eV. The low eel intensity could be due to a competing irreversible decay of the primary redox pair. 

A second important group includes the diphenylamine indicators. In the presence of a strong oxidizing agent, diphenylamine is irreversibly converted to diphenylbenzidine. This latter compound undergoes a reversible redox reaction accompanied by a colour change,... 

Reduction to the neutral radical appears as an irreversible wave at -0.9 V. Neither anodic peak exhibits the shape characteristic of stripping a solid coating from the electrode hence precipitation of the radical cation or neutral radical on the electrode is not evident (11-13). The sharp peaks at +0.46 V are tentatively assigned to desorption and adsorption of the CiebpyMe2 there are no anticipated redox reactions at that potential. 

In practice, the majority of redox reactions behave more like a quasi-reversible system. It is also common that a reaction that behaves reversibly at low scan rate becomes irreversible at high scan rate passing through a quasi-reversible region. 

Diagnostic tests and quantitative criteria for cyclic voltammograms of reversible and irreversible redox reactions at 25°C... 

Definition of symbols AEp = peak potential difference, Epa = peak potential at cathodic peak current, Epc = peak potential at anodic peak current, tpa = anodic peak current, ipc = cathodic peak current, s = scan rate, t = time after peak (the Cottrell region), n = number of electrons involved in redox reaction. Rate parameters (acn ) and heterogeneous rate constant can be found from irreversible wave. 

Fig. 18b.9. Example cychc voltammograms due to (a) multi-electron transfer redox reaction two-step reduction of methyl viologen MV2++e = MV++e = MV. (b) ferrocene confined as covalently attached surface-modified electroactive species—peaks show no diffusion tail, (c) follow-up chemical reaction A and C are electroactive, C is produced from B through irreversible chemical conversion of B, and (d) electrocatalysis of hydrogen peroxide decomposition by phosphomolybdic acid adsorbed on a graphite electrode.

Intramolecular redox reactions for bichromophoric compounds containing nitro and amino (or amino acid) groups have also been examined. For example4, irreversible... 

It should be noted, in this connection, that there are pyridine nucleotide dehydrogenases which catalyze redox reactions which must occur in two steps. Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA reductase (discussed on p. 51) is one example. Another is uridine diphosphate-glucose dehydrogenase, which catalyzes the oxidation of the C—6 of the glucose (i.e., a primary alcohol) to a carboxyl group. In both cases, there are two molecules of pyridine nucleotide required, and the overall reactions are essentially irreversible. The former enzyme, with A stereospecificity for the pyridine nucleotide, catalyzes the reduction of an acyl-CoA group... 

Cryokinetic studies of the plastocyanin-ferricyanide redox reactions in 50 50 v/v MeOH + H2O, pH = 7.0, p = 0.1 M reveal an Eyring plot shown for the second-order rate constant k from 25 °C to -35°C. The reaction is irreversible over the whole temperature range and there is no evidence for a change in the Cu(I) active site. Recalling that these reactions may involve consecutive steps, explain the deviation from a linear Eyring plot. F. A. Armstrong, P. C. Driscoll, H. G. Ellul, S. E. Jackson and A. M. Lannon, J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Communs. 234 (1988). 

Chromiain(ii) Complexes.—The oxidation of chromium(ii) in alkaline solution has been studied polarographically and the reaction shown to be irreversible with = — 1.65 V vs. S.C.E. In the presence of nitrilotriacetic acid, salicylate, ethylenediamine, and edta the values were determined as —1.075, —1.33, — 1.38, and —1.48 V, respectively. The production of [Cr(edta)NO] from [Cr (edta)H20] and NO, NOJ, or NO2 suggests that this complex is able to react via an inner-sphere mechanism in its redox reactions. ... 

The ligands 369 react with [RuCl2(dmso)4] to yield [RuCl2(dmso)2(369-A, 0)], characterized W spectroscopic and electrochemical methods. Complexes in the families [Ru"(bpy)(370)2] and [Ru" (aca( (370)2] have been reported. The complexes [Ru(bpy)(370)2] undergo a reversible Ru"/Ru" oxidation followed by an irreversible Ru /Ru process the bpy-centered one-electron reduction is also observed. Chemical oxidation of the complexes [Ru(bpy)(370)2] gives [Ru(bpy)(370)2] (isolated as the iodides), the electronic and ESR spectroscopic properties of which have been described. The crystal structure of [Ru(acac)(371)2] has been established, and the electrochemical and chemical redox reactions of [Ru(acac)(370)2] and [Ru(acac)(371)2] generate Ru" and Ru species that have been characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. ... 

A rich variety of reagents and methods have been applied to generate radical ions. As illustrated above, the first methods were chemical redox reactions. Radical anions have long been generated via reduction by alkali metals. Because of the high reduction potentials of these metals, the method is widely applicable, and the reductions are essentially irreversible. 

The net result of a photochemical redox reaction often gives very little information on the quantum yield of the primary electron transfer reaction since this is in many cases compensated by reverse electron transfer between the primary reaction products. This is equally so in homogeneous as well as in heterogeneous reactions. While the reverse process in homogeneous reactions can only by suppressed by consecutive irreversible chemical steps, one has a chance of preventing the reverse reaction in heterogeneous electron transfer processes by applying suitable electric fields. We shall see that this can best be done with semiconductor or insulator electrodes and that there it is possible to study photochemical primary processes with the help of such electrochemical techniques 5-G>7>. 

In addition, electrode reactions are frequently characterized by an irreversible, i.e., slow, electron transfer. Therefore, overpotentials have to be applied in preparative-scale electrolyses to a smaller or larger extent. This means not only a higher energy consumption but also a loss in selectivity as other functions within the molecule can already be attacked. In the case of indirect electrolyses, no overpotentials are encountered as long as reversible redox systems are used as mediators. It is very exciting that not only overpotentials can be eliminated but frequently redox catalysts can be applied with potentials which are 600 mV or in some cases even up to 1 Volt lower than the electrode potentials of the substrates. These so-called redox reactions opposite to the standard potential gradient can take place in two different ways. In the first place, a thermodynamically unfavorable electron-transfer equilibrium (Eq. (3)) may be followed by a fast and irreversible step (Eq. (4)) which will shift the electron-transfer equilibrium to the product side. In this case the reaction rate (Eq. (5)) is not only controlled by the equilibrium constant K, i.e., by the standard potential difference be-... 

In the following we will try to illustrate these general points by discussing two specific types of redox reactions the reduction of aromatic nitro groups (Eq. 14-9) and the reductive dehalogenation of polyhalogenated Cr and C2-compounds (Eqs. 14-6 to 14-8). These two cases represent two very different types of reactions. In the first case, the transfer of the first electron is reversible, whereas in the second case, it is typically irreversible and involves the breaking of a bond. In the latter case, therefore, one speaks of a dissociative electron transfer. Furthermore, compounds... 

One other serious criticism regarding the data on Cu speciation is the neglect of the cysteine present in blood plasma. Cu11 and cysteine undergo a facile redox reaction (Chapter 20.2). Since the reaction is irreversible, no quantitative thermodynamic quotient is available for use in the computer calculations. Another assumption often made is that the overwhelming concentration of other amino acids may prevent cysteine coordination and, as a result, stabilize the Cu11 state. Recent studies show that this assumption is totally unjustified48 and so the dilemma still has to be resolved. 

The dye radical formed by reduction of the dye molecule would have an additional electron, would not have the same electronic configuration, and possibly not the same geometric configuration compared to the excited dye molecule. Moreover, the electrochemical measurements contain contributions from solvation energy differences between the parent dye and its reduced or oxidized radicals (43). These contributions do not appear in the dye s optical transition energy. In addition, many cyanine dyes undergo irreversible redox reactions in solution and the potentials, as commonly measured, are not strictly reversible. Nevertheless, Loutfy and Sharp (260) showed that the absorption maxima of more than 50 sensitizing dyes in solution conformed approximately to the equation... 

Oxidation-Reduction Reactions. Although many redox reactions are reversible, they are included here because many of the redox reactions that influence the fate of toxicants are irreversible on the temporal and spatial scales that are important to toxicity. 

The mechanism of action for such peroxidic compounds involves a reductive activation by iron in haem, released as a result of hemoglobin digestion by Plasmodium. This irreversible redox reaction affords carbon-centered free radicals causing the alkylation of haem and of proteins. One such protein (the sarcoplasmic-endoplasmic reticulum ATPase PfATP6) appears to be critical for parasite survival, and there is no indication for resistance by the parasite. However, treatment is expensive and recrudescence of malaria occurs often. Moreover, it was found that at high doses such compounds are neurotoxic. 

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