ELECTROINDUCED S(RN)1 PREPARATIVE REACTIONS .1. ESTIMATION OF THE LIMITING DIFFUSION CURRENTS ON VARIOUS CATHODIC MATERIALS IN LIQUID-AMMONIA AND DIMETHYLFORMAMIDE

Limiting diffusion currents are estimated by an indirect method which consists in determining the chemical yield of substitution product in the electrosynthesis of a biaryl by an S(RN) 1 type reaction. The limiting diffusion currents can then be deduced from the yields. Different industrial cathodic materials have been investigated both in liquid ammonia (-40-degrees-C) and dimethylformamide (20-degrees-C). The limiting diffusion currents are generally about 2.8 times larger in ammonia than in dimethyl formamide.