Bridging the gap between electrochemical and organometallic activation: benzyl chloride reduction at silver cathodes

The integration of voltammetry, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and density functional theory (DFT) has helped in disclosing the mechanistic origin of the electrocatalytic properties of silver cathodes during the reduction of benzyl chloride. The mechanism has bridged classical electroreduction mechanisms and oxidative additions similar to those occurring during organometallic homogeneous activation of organic halides by low-valent transition-metal complexes.