Electro-Organic Oxidations in Concentrated Aqueous Organic Salt Solutions

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Abstract
The use of concentrated aqueous solutions of the sodium salts of aromatic sulfonates as solvents for the depolarizer in electro‐organic oxidations is described. Runs were carried out in a cell arranged to measure anode gas evolution. These sulfonate solvents were found stable to action by electrolytic oxygen under alkaline, neutral and slightly acid conditions. With benzaldehyde, the Cannizzaro reaction takes place appreciably in alkaline solution due to the solvent action of the sulfonate solutions. The electrolytic oxidation of benzaldehyde to benzoic acid was carried out in the presence of a copper oxide catalyst at a nickel anode with high anode gas absorption efficiency and without tar formation under alkaline conditions. Certain catalysts, notably cobalt and nickel hydroxides, were found to greatly increase the rate of oxidation of benzyl alcohol at a nickel anode to form benzaldehyde and benzoic acid. The relative amounts of benzaldehyde and benzoic acid in the oxidation products may be varied with the alkaline pH of the solution. Cerium hydroxide had a negative catalytic effect under these same conditions. The organic salt solvents offer a new method for study of electrolytic oxidation of organic compounds.

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