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Published on: June 30, 2019
Electrochemical behaviour of isopropanol at platinum electrodes
1Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Umeå, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden.
Abstract:
The accessible potential range of isopropanol was found to be from +1.1 to -1.2 V vs. Ag/AgCl in non-aqueous 0.01 M LiCl, with acetone being formed at the anode and hydrogen at the cathode. Water was formed in a side-reaction, probably by ketal formation, the rate being proportional to the electrode area. Another side-reaction at the cathode produced an insoluble product after prolonged electrolysis. The coulometric current efficiency was nevertheless very high (99.6-99.97%) and almost independent of current density. The results indicate that the cathode reaction proceeded with somewhat less than theoretical current efficiency.
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