Electrochemical Reduction of 4,4′-(2,2,2-Trichloroethane-1,1-diyl)- bis(chlorobenzene) (DDT) and 4,4′-(2,2-Dichloroethane-1,1-diyl)- bis(chlorobenzene) (DDD) at Carbon Cathodes in Dimethylformamide

In dimethylformamide containing tetramethylammonium tetrafluoroborate, cyclic voltammograms for reduction of 4,4′‐(2,2,2‐trichloroethane‐1,1‐diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDT) at a glassy carbon cathode exhibit five waves, whereas three waves are observed for the reduction of 4,4′‐(2,2‐dichloroethane‐1,1‐diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDD). Bulk electrolyses of DDT and DDD afford 4,4′‐(ethene‐1,1‐diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDNU) as principal product (67–94%), together with 4,4′‐(2‐chloroethene‐1,1‐diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDMU), 1‐chloro‐4‐styrylbenzene, and traces of both 1,1‐diphenylethane and 4,4′‐(ethane‐1,1‐diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDO). For electrolyses of DDT and DDD, the coulometric n values are essentially 4 and 2, respectively. When DDT is reduced in the presence of a large excess of D2O, the resulting DDNU and DDMU are almost fully deuterated, indicating that reductive cleavage of the carbon–chlorine bonds of DDT is a two‐electron process that involves carbanion intermediates. A mechanistic scheme is proposed to account for the formation of the various products.