MSCV STUDIES OF ELECTROREDUCTION OF UNSATURATED ALCOHOLS .1. ELECTROREDUCTION OF ALLYL ALCOHOL

The electroreduction of allyl alcohol was studied using MSCV (Mass Spectrometric Cyclic Voltammetry ) technique at porous Pt electrodes in 0.5 mol.dm-3 HClO4. Two types of reactions are mainly involved in the reduction of allyl alcohol: C-OH bond cleavage from allyl group with formation of propene and the hydrogenation of propene to propane. The mass spectrometric current (I(M))-phi (potential) curves of the fragments provide detailed information for some of the partial reactions. For all the m/z values studied the log I(M)-phi relations exhibit a linear range and their tafel slops were obtained. Possible reaction mechanisms are proposed based on experimental results.