Electrochemical reduction of benzoic acid and substituted benzoic acids in some room temperature ionic liquids

Using cyclic voltammetry, the electrochemical reduction of benzoic acid (BZA) has been studied at Pt and Au microelectrodes (10 and 2 mu m diameter) in six room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs), namely [C(2)mim][NTf2], [C(4)mim][NTf2], [C(4)mpyrr][NTf2], [C(4)mim][BF4], [C(4)mim][NO3], and [C(4)mim][PF6] (where [C(n)mim](+) = 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium, [NTf2](-) = bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, [C(4)mpyrr](+) = N-butyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium, [BF4](-) = tetrafluoroborate, [NO3](-) = nitrate, and [PF6](-) = hexafluorophosphate). In all cases, a main reduction peak was observed, assigned to the reduction of BZA in a CE mechanism, where dissociation of the acid takes place before electron transfer to the dissociated proton. One anodic peak was observed on the reverse sweep, assigned to the oxidation of adsorbed hydrogen, and a reductive