Fundamental studies on electroinitiated cationic polymerizations—1: Some aspects of the electrolysis of tetrabutylammonium salts in chlorinated organic solvents

✍ Scribed by P. Cerrai; P. Giusti; G. Guerra; M. Tricoli

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1974
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 404 KB
• Volume: 10
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0014-3057
• DOI: 10.1016/0014-3057(74)90106-2

✦ Synopsis

The electrolysis of tetrabutylammonium iodide and tri-iodide in 1,2-dichloroethane solution was studied in order to identify the anodically produced species which may be able to initiate cationic polymerizations of vinyl monomers.

The electrolyses were carried out under constant current in divided cells: the anodic and cathodic solutions were subsequently recovered and analysed separately.

The anodic process is electrolytic oxidation of the anion to iodine; the cathodic process is an electrolytic decomposition of the solvent to give hydrogen, ethylene, vinyl chloride and tetrabutylammonium chloride.

The last compound was found also in electrolyses carried out in methylene chloride solution and was proved to be a powerful rate depressor for iodine initiated polymerizations.

A mechanism for the electrodic processes is proposed.