Examples of Commercialized Organic Electrode Processes - Fundamentals and Applications of Organic Electrochemistry - page 338

(A.1)
Figure A.1 shows a typical electrolytic cell for
anodic fluorination, equipped with a platinum
plate anode and cathode (2 cm × 2 cm). The cell
is filled with an electrolytic solution containing
ethyl phenylthioacetate (196 mg, 1 mmol),
Et 3 N-3HF (1.6 ml, 10 mmol) and acetonitrile
(8.4 ml). Constant current electrolysis (20 mA,
current density 5 mA cm −2 ) for 2 h 41 min (2 F
mol −1 ) is conducted with stirring. The solution
is then neutralized by saturated NaHCO 3 and
extracted with ethyl acetate (30 ml × 3). The
organic phase is washed with brine (100 ml)
and dried over Na 2 SO 4 . The solvent is removed
under reduced pressure and the crude product
is purified by silica gel column chromatography
to give the desired fluorinated product in
50-70% yield. If methanol is used instead of
acetonitrile, the methoxylated product is
obtained selectively.