Article

Abstract

The electrochemical reduction of nitrosobenzene (PhNO) in the presence of cyclopentadiene derivatives containing the indenyl group represented as In'H2 (10a, 10b, and 12b) gives the imine derivatives PhN=In'. The process requires only a catalytic amount of electricity. When the electrolysis of aromatic aldehydes (ArCHO), 2,6-dichlorobenzaldehyde (1a), benzaldehyde (1b) and terephthalaldehyde (2), is performed in the presence of the In'H2 derivatives, compounds ArCH=In' are obtained in low yields. These compounds have been characterized by mass spectrometry and microanalysis. The overall process involves two consecutive chain reactions with regeneration of the anion In'H-.Key words: electrochemical reduction, nitrosobenzene, aromatic aldehydes, base catalysis, chain reaction.