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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: Synthesis from Benzimidazolium Salts and Catalytic Activity in Carbon-carbon Bond-forming Reactions
Published on: July 30, 2017
Electrocarboxylation of benzyl halides through redox catalysis on the preparative scale
Onofrio Scialdone1, Alessandro Galia, Giuseppe Silvestri
1Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica dei Processi e dei Materiali, Viale delle Scienze 90128 Palermo, Italy. scialdone@dicpm.unipa.it
Abstract:
The electrocarboxylation of benzyl halides to the corresponding carboxylic acids through homogeneous charge-transfer catalysis was investigated both theoretically and experimentally to determine the influence of the operative parameters on the yield of the process and on the catalyst consumption. Theoretical considerations, based on fast kinetics of redox catalysis, were confirmed by the electrocarboxylation of 1-phenyl-1-chloroethane catalyzed by 1,3-benzenedicarboxylic acid dimethyl ester performed at a carbon cathode under different operative conditions. We obtained high yields of the target carboxylic acid and experienced a low catalyst consumption by operating with optimized [RX]bulk/[CO2]bulk and [RX]bulk/[catalyst] ratios.
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