Building up an electrocatalytic activity scale of cathode materials for organic halide reductions

A wide study on the electrochem. activity of 4 model org. bromides was carried out in MeCN on 9 cathodes of widely different affinity for halide anions (Pt, Zn, Hg, Sn, Bi, Pb, Au, Cu, Ag), and the electrocatalytic activities of the latter were evaluated with respect to 3 possible inert ref. cathode materials, i.e. glassy C, B-doped diamond, and fluorinated B-doped diamond. A general electrocatalytic activity scale for the process is proposed, with a discussion on its modulation by the configuration of the reacting mol., and its connection with thermodn. parameters accounting for halide adsorption.