The electrochemical oxidation of toluene catalysed by Co(ii) in N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide??

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics Pub Date: 2015-10-29 DOI: 10.1039/C5CP04151A

Abstract

The electrochemical oxidation of toluene in N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide ([bmpyr]+[Ntf2]?) was investigated by using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic electrolysis in the presence of Co(II) at a Pt disc working electrode. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigations revealed that Co(II)–Co(III) oxidation is a diffusion controlled electron transfer process. The diffusion coefficient values of Co(II) were found to increase from 0.38 × 10?7 to 1.9 × 10?7 cm2 s?1 as the temperature was increased from 25 °C to 80 °C. The CV peak current for toluene electro-oxidation increased by nearly 7 fold in the presence of Co(II) demonstrating a good catalytic effect. Co(II) catalysed galvanostatic electrolysis of toluene at room temperature has shown that benzaldehyde was formed along with a small quantity of 3-methyl-1-hexanol.

Graphical abstract: The electrochemical oxidation of toluene catalysed by Co(ii) in N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide
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