Leaded Bronze: An Innovative Lead Substitute for Cathodic Electrosynthesis

Gütz C., Grimaudo V., Holtkamp M., Hartmer M., Werra J., Frensemeier L., Kehl A., Karst U., Broekmann P., Waldvogel S.

Abstract

The most common cathode materials for electro-organic reduction reactions are lead, mercury, and cadmium, as they exhibit a large over-potential for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). Therefore, quite negative potentials can be reached, which are important for many electro-organic conversions like dehalogenations, deoxygenations, and many more. As a major drawback, all three metals are prone to cathodic corrosion forming highly toxic organometallic compounds, which might contaminate the product. Thus, the synthesis of fine chemicals and biologically active agents through electro-synthesis is highly challenging. To tackle this issue, we present leaded bronze as an innovative, easily available, and inexpensive cathode material, which combines an excellent performance in electrosynthesis with a significantly increased mechanical and chemical stability. Our results demonstrate that leaded bronze can effectively replace lead as an electrode material in a significant number of transformations.