Organic Electrosynthesis - Fundamentals and Applications of Organic Electrochemistry - page 255

range of organic synthesis and organic mass
production processes. Electron transfer is one
of the most common driving forces for organic
reactions, and organic electrosynthesis serves
as a straightforward and powerful method of
organic electron-transfer processes. The
integrated use of microflow technology with
organic electrosynthesis is one of the most
sophisticated processes in organic chemistry. In
addition, novel systems that are realized only by
using electrochemical microflow reactors have
been developed.
Yoshida et al. reported that a microflow
electrochemical system serves as a quite
effective method for oxidative generation of
unstable organic cations at low temperatures
[76]. This method is called the cation-flow
method. An electrochemical reactor for the
cation-flow method is equipped with a carbon
felt anode and a platinum wire cathode ( Figure
6.28 ). The anodic chamber and the cathodic
chamber are separated by a diaphragm of PTFE
membrane. A solution of a cation precursor is
introduced to the anodic chamber and a
solution of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid
(TfOH) as a proton source is introduced to the
cathodic chamber. The organic cation that is
generated is immediately transferred to a vessel
in which a nucleophilic reaction takes place to
give the desired coupling product.