XPS-evidence for in-situ electrochemically-generated carbene formation
Date
2017Source Title
Electrochimica Acta
Print ISSN
0013-4686
Publisher
Elsevier Ltd.
Volume
234
Pages
37 - 42
Language
English
Type
ArticleItem Usage Stats
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Abstract
Stable N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) are a class of compounds that has attracted a huge amount of interest in the last decade. One way to prepare NHCs is through chemical or electrochemical reduction of 1,3-disubstituted imidazolium cations. We are presenting an in-situ electrochemical X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) study where electrochemically reduced imidazolium cations lead to production of stable NHC. The electroactive imidazolium species is not only the reactant, but also part of the ionic liquid which serves as the electrolyte, the medium and the electroactive material. This allows us to directly probe the difference between the parent imidazolium ion and the NHC through the use of XPS. The interpretation of the results is supported by both observation of reversible redox peaks in the voltammogram and the density functional theory calculations.
Keywords
Density functional theoryElectrolytes
Electrolytic reduction
Ionic liquids
Organic compounds
Positive ions
Electro actives
Electroactive material
Electrochemical reductions
Imidazolium cation
N-heterocyclic carbenes
Redox peaks
Voltammograms
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies
X ray photoelectron spectroscopy