Coupled Electron- and Phase-Transfer Reactions at a Nano Three-Phase Interfaces

Description:
We present our advances in the analytical characterization of coupled electron- and phase-transfer (CEPhT) reactions. A CEPhT reaction occurs at a multiphase interface, where the two different continuous phases, organic and aqueous phase, interact with an electrode. The chemical species will transfer between phases depending on its net charge, i.e., the oxidation state of the species. Thus, the phase transfer occurs in a non-equilibrium system, by electron transfer producing electroactive species with different partition coefficients. We used nano-diameter pipettes (from 500 to 100 nm diameter) to further explore the three-phase interface geometry on the CEPhT reactions. Specially, we aim to study the structural arrangement at the “oil-water” interface, and the CEPhT mechanisms. Briefly, the pipettes are filled with water containing supporting electrolyte and redox species, and submerged in an organic solvent containing milimolar concentrations redox species. We have chosen chemically reversible redox species. These type of study allows us to confined the domain to an electrochemical cell that is a nanodroplet in a large continuous media of organic solvent. Voltammetric analysis is supported by finite element simulations of reaction including (1) electron transfer, (2) phase transfer, and (3) homogenous reactions. Overall, we propose new strategies to improve the available characterization and later development of applications at these three phase interfaces. Applications such as electrocatalysis in organic synthesis performed in highly reactive nanoconfined reactors such as water or oil droplets.

Author: Salvador Gutiérrez Portocarrero

Co-Authors: Andrew Pendergast, and Henry S. White.

Speaker: Salvador Gutierrez-Portocarrero - The University of Utah
May 2021 - present. Postdoctoral Fellow in Dr. Henry S. White Group. Chemistry Department, The University of Utah. Center for Synthetic Organic Electrochemistry (CSOE), Utah. USA.
August 2016 - May 2021. Ph. D. in Chemistry. The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), USA.