DIRECT ELECTROCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS OF INORGANIC AND ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS

Although the electrochemical properties of inorganic and organometallic compounds have been widely studied, there has been comparatively little attempt to apply the results of such work in preparative chemistry. Recent experiments have shown that the sacrificial dissolution of either anodic or cathodic metals in non-aqueous media yields a number of different types of inorganic and organometallic complexes; examples of such syntheses are reviewed. The possible mechanisms of these reactions, and the advantages of electrochemical preparative methods, are also discussed. © IUPAC