Voltammetric study of some perbenzoic acids. Mechanism of reduction at a platinum electrode

Abstract

A voltammetric study of the reduction of some substituted perbenzoic acids in aqueous solution has been performed by using a platinum microelectrode with periodical renewal of the diffusion layer. The acids give a cathodic wave corresponding to the irreversible process (i). Analysis of the reduction waves shows that the potential-determining RCO·OOH + 2H⁺+ 2e^–→ RCO·OH + H₂O (i) step involves a molecule of undissociated peracid and one electron. The effect of substituents on the half-wave potential has also been investigated and the mechanism of electroreduction of peroxyacids is compared with the mechanism of their reduction by iodide ions.