Electrochemical reduction of decafluorobenzil in DMF on a platinum electrode

The mechanism of electrochemical reduction of decafluorobenzil on a platinum electrode in DMF was investigated by cyclic voltammetry. The first reduction peak corresponded to a reversible single-electron transfer leading to the formation of a relatively stable anion-radical whose ESR spectrum was registered and characterized. The second peak corresponded to the reduction of the anion-radical into an unstable dianion that quickly reacted with initial decafluorobenzil, and the arising species (or its transformation product) at the given potential underwent further reduction. The effect of fluorine on the potentials and on the mechanism of the electrochemical reduction of decafluorobenzil was considered.