Topics in Organic Electrochemistry

- BOOK NAME: Topics in Organic Electrochemistry
- AUTHOR: Albert J. Fry , Wayne E. Britton
- CATEGORY: Pure Science - 500
- LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
- YEAR: 1986
- PAGES: 306
- ISBN:978-1-4899-2036-2
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- EXCERPT:
Organic electrochemistry is a remarkably diverse science. Many study it for
its own sake. Such individuals have traditionally been interested primarily
in the mechanisms of reactions of organic substances at electrode surfaces,
in developing new synthetic applications, or in electrochemical methods
for analyzing mixtures of organic substances. In recent years, however, the
field has attracted the attention of individuals with a wider variety of research
interests. Physical organic chemists have learned that electrochemistry can
afford valuable thermodynamic and structural information on organic systems, and that there exists a wealth of electrochemical methods which can
be employed to measure the rates and mechanisms of fast organic reactions
occurring at electrodes. Organometallic chemists are beginning to discoverand this is still almost virgin territory-the wide range of reaction mechanisms which can take place upon electrochemical oxidation or reduction
of organometallic substrates. Physical chemists are attempting to understand
the complex processes which occur at the surfaces of semiconductors, and
when light impinges on an electrode surface. Others are studying the ways
in which the composition of the electrode surface affects the course of
electrode processes, and are devising ways to modify the chemical structure
of electrode surfaces to achieve specific purposes. The range of contexts in
which electrochemistry is now being used in some way in organic research
is truly impressive.
The very pace and breadth of developments in these areas have created
problems of their own. A number of important areas in organic electrochemistry, we felt, were at that stage in their development where they
were ripe for a critical review. Some of the topics in this volume have not
been reviewed in some time, and others not at all. This alone would argue
for their presence here. In addition, however, we felt the need for a collection
of reviews addressed to the general organic chemical community, who may