| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 182182 | Electrochemistry Communications | 2008 | 4 Pages |
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.
