Electrochemical Oxidation of Symmetrical Amides of Ferulic Acid in Aprotic Medium

The electrochemical behavior of three symmetrical amides derived from ferulic acid (FA) is reported. Strong adsorption processes of all compounds to the carbon electrode surface were observed. Experimental and theoretical results provide evidence that carbon radicals, located at the alpha position with respect to the carbonyl group of the ferulic moieties, are generated during the oxidation process and react with the electrode surface. The identity of the diamine connectors does not exert an influence on the global oxidation mechanism and has a very modest impact on the efficiency of the observed adsorption process. The dimeric topology of the three diamides also favors the blocking of the electrode surface compared with monomeric analogues studied before.