Interfacial Domain Formation Enhances Electrochemical Synthesis.

2019

The electroorganic C,C coupling of phenols to other aryl components is controlled by the fluoroalcohol-alcohol mixture solvents. Classical molecular dynamics and static density functional theory reveal that both kinds of solvents interact with the substrates, influencing the electronic structure of a phenoxyl radical intermediate in a cooperative manner to achieve maximal efficiency and selectivity. Simulations of the electrolyte-electrode interface showed that the substrates adsorb on the diamond surface in such a way that the repulsive fluorous-lipophilic interactions can be minimized and the attractive lipophilic-lipophilic interplay can be maximized, whereas the advantageous hydrogen bo…