Electrochemical generation of a nickel-carbonyl complex, catalyst for the electroreductive coupling of organic halides and carbon monoxide into ketones

The nickel-carbonyl complex Ni(CO)bpy is involved in the nickel-catalysed electroreductive coupling of organic halides and carbon monoxide into ketones. The active species is obtained from a stoichiometric mixture of Ni-0, 2,2'-bipyridine and CO. The electrochemical method used to generate this complex allows a good tuning of Ni-0 production versus CO dissolution. We have shown that Ni(CO)bpy results from a CO equilibrium exchange between Ni(CO)(2)bpy and Nibpy. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.