Detection and identification of intermediate and final products of electrochemical reactions by means of the rotating ring-disc electrode method

Abstract

This paper discusses the principles of identification of intermediate and final products of electrochemical reactions on the basis of kinetic information obtained by means of the rotating ring-disc electrode method. Most important information about the nature of the products may be obtained by investigating the relationship between the ring collection efficiency for the appropriate product and the electrode rotation speed, disc potential, concentration of the initial reactant in the solution, temperature and pH of the solution. This approach was used for identification of the products of nitroferrocene alkaline reduction. It was demonstrated that the cathodic reduction of this compound involves formation of anion-radicals of nitroferrocene, unstable ferrocenylhydroxylamine and amino-ferrocene.