title: The electroreduction of benzoic acid: voltammetric observation of adsorbed hydrogen at a platinum microelectrode in room temperature ionic liquids.
abstract: The electrochemical reduction of benzoic acid in the presence and absence of hydrogen (H(2)) has been investigated using a 10 μm diameter platinum microelectrode in four different room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), namely [C(4)mim][NTf(2)], [C(4)mpyrr][NTf(2)], [C(4)mim][OTf] and [C(4)mim][BF(4)], versus Ag/Ag(+). In all cases, reductive voltammetry is observed, and is suggested to occur via a CE mechanism in which dissociation of benzoic acid is followed by electron transfer to H(+) ultimately forming adsorbed hydrogen. Furthermore, the adsorbed H atoms, formed from the reduction of benzoic acid, could be used to achieve the rapid hydrogenolysis of the organic compound (bis(benzyloxycarbonyl)-l-lysine) on the timescale of the voltammetric technique under moderate conditions (25 °C).
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK.
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hardacre
authors.forename: Richard G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Compton