The Potential of Indirect Electrochemical Syntheses as Compared with Alternative Methods

2 The Potentiality of Indirect Electrochemical Syntheses as Compared with Alternative Methods 

In the following, the potentiality and advantages of indirect electrochemical processes are compared with available alternatives 3.13.25,26) Naturally, exact estimations are only possible using concrete examples  

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- 

Secondly, instead of a pure and simple electron transfer, the redox reaction can be coupled to a chemical reaction in such a way that the electron transfer takes place either after incorporation of the substrate or an intermediate into the inner coordination sphere of a metal ion ( inner-sphere electron transfer), by formation of a charge transfer complex, or in form of a hydrogen or hydride atom abstraction, respectively. In these cases the reaction between redox catalyst and substrate does not directly depend on the difference of the two standard potentials (see Sect. 2.3). 

The selectivity and reactivity in indirect electrochemical syntheses can be enhanced by coordination of the substrate or an intermediate to the redox catalyst, for example through metal centers. In direct electrolyses, however, the selectivity and reactivity is mainly controlled by the difference between the electrode potential and the redox potentials of the different functions within the substrate. 

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