ELECTROCHEMICAL FLUORINATION USING POROUS NICKEL AND FOAM NICKEL ANODES

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-1139(00)80509-6

This work set out to examine the reasons behind some of the problems associated with ECF, namely, lack of reproducibility, low chemical yields, poor selectivity and low current densities, with a view to ameliorating these shortcomings and making the process more attractive to the chemical industry.The approach was to study the chemistry under controlled conditions of potential, reactant concentration, temperature, etc., and to analyse the results in terms of product structure, distribution and yield.Two distinct stages in the process were identified, i) the conditioning of the electrode, and, ii) the fluorination of the organic substrate.These stages are described in detail in relation to two model systems investigated, the fluorination of propene using porous and foam nickel anodes, and the fluorination of the octanoyl chloride using nickel foam anodes.The scales of experiments ranged from 100 ml to 100 l cell capacities.General conclusions are derived and recommendations made for the more efficient operation of the process.