ELECTROCATALYTIC HYDROGENATION OF CONJUGATED ENONES ON NICKEL BORIDE,NICKEL, AND RANEY-NICKEL ELECTRODES

The selectivity of the electrocatalytic hydrogenation (ECH) of conjuga ted enones to the corresponding carbonyl compounds has been investigat ed in aqueous methanol under constant current at nickel boride, fracta l nickel, and Raney nickel electrodes made of pressed powders. The inf luence of various parameters (water percentage, pH, concentration of s ubstrate, and current density) on the selectivity of the carbon-carbon double bond hydrogenation was studied with cyclohex-2-en-1-one at nic kel boride electrodes. Under given electrolysis conditions, fractal ni ckel electrodes were found to give the highest selectivity The selecti vity of the ECH of a variety of conjugated enones at fractal nickel el ectrodes was determined under electrolysis conditions that gave the be st selectivity with cyclohexenone at nickel boride electrodes.