The positive effect of oxygenated solvents for the synthetic use of electroregenerated ytterbium(II)

The addition of an oxygen based solvent, THF for example, to classical electrochemical media (DMF or ACN) improved the electrochemical behavior of the Yb(III)/Yb(II) couple. Two highlights of using 2:1 THF-DMF include the diminishing of the passivation at the carbon vitreous electrode when successive cycles are recorded and the almost totally reversible response of the system. The complexing effect of THF positively affects the electron-transfer kinetics of the redox couple, being faster in DMF-THF than in ACN-THF. A similar complexation effect was confirmed using tetraglyme as a cosolvent. The use of 2:1 THF-DMF allowed us to successfully substitute reticulated vitreous carbon in place of mercury as the working electrode for the Yb(II) electrogeneration experiments. Due to the stability of the alcoholate-Yb(III) complex, the recycling of Yb(III) to Yb(II) could not be achieved in the pinacolization reactions that were attempted