1,3-Dibromopropane at a copper cathode: A facile procedure to create activated copper particles of very small size

Evidence is presented that copper electrodes (made of smooth metal, copper powder suspensions, palladium copper alloy, or galvanostatic deposits of Cu2+ onto several conducting substrates) may exhibit exceptional catalytic capabilities in particular with the series of α,ω-dibromoalkanes Br-(CH2)n-Br. Thus, the use of all coppered surfaces leads to spectacular reduction potential shifts (ΔE ≈ 1 V) compared to the use of glassy carbon taken as a standard interface. In particular, copper was found to readily react with 1,3-dibromopropane. It is expected that an organo-Cu(II) complex is preliminarily formed and then destroyed by means of a two-electron cathodic discharge giving deposition of copper micro-structures strongly activated. Conducting surfaces (like glassy carbon) chemically modified by deposits of copper using this operating mode, have revealed exceptional electro-catalytic capabilities.