A Versatile Electrochemical Batch Reactor for Synthetic Organic and Inorganic Transformations and Analytical Electrochemistry

A standardized and versatile electrochemical batch reactor that has wide applicability in both organic and inorganic synthesis and analytical electrochemistry has been developed. A variety of synthetic electrochemical transformations have been performed to showcase the versatility and demonstrate the reactor, including the synthesis of five Cu(I)-NHC complexes, two Au(I)-NHC complexes, and one Fe(II)-NHC complex as well as an Fe(III)-salen complex. The reactor is based on a commercially available vial with an adapted lid, making it inexpensive and highly flexible. It features a fixed interelectrode distance, which is crucial for reproducibility, along with the ability to accommodate a variety of interchangeable electrode materials. The reactor has also been used in conjunction with a parallel plate, allowing rapid screening and optimization of an organic electrochemical transformation. Cyclic voltammetry has been performed within the reactor on a range of imidazolium salt analytes with the use of an external potentiostat. The ability to use this reactor for both analytical and synthetic organic and inorganic chemistry is enabled by a flexible and characterizable design.