Electrochemical reduction of α,β-unsaturated diphosphonium salts on a mercury electrode

1. Study has been made of the electrochemical reduction of the salts of trans-1,2-diphosphonioethene on the dropping Hg electrode in protogenic and aprotic media. 2. It has been shown that stable radical anions result from the first, reversible one-electron stage of the reduction of disalts in aprotic media. A scheme is proposed to describe the reduction mechanism. © 1977 Plenum Publishing Corporation