A Study of Reaction Products and Mechanism in the Electrolytic Reduction of Ethyl Iodide

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Abstract
The electrolytic reduction of ethyl iodide in an aqueous alcoholic solution has been studied in a specially designed cell with parchment paper diaphragm. Reaction products were found to be hydrogen, ethylene, ethane, and butane in proportions which varied with the acidity of the electrolytic solution and with the cathode material. These results, together with electrode potential measurements on the depolarizing action of ethyl iodide, can best be explained by the assumption that ethyl radicals are formed by direct electron transfer from the electrode to the ethyl iodide. The radicals then react further, either with hydrogen or with themselves, to yield the final products. The catalytic activity of various metals for this process approximates the activity for hydrogen formation. Experiments on the reduction of ethyl iodide by zinc, amalgamated zinc, and the zinc copper couple indicate that this reaction follows much the same course as the electrolytic reductions when electrolytes are present in the solution. The classical couple method of Gladstone and Tribe leads to different results.

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