Direct Voltammetric Evidence for a Reducing Agent Generated from the Electrochemical Oxidation of Tripropylamine for Electrochemiluminescence of Ruthenium Tris(bipyridine) Complexes?

Electrochemical lighting? A redox-active substance was found to be a product of the electrochemical oxidation of tripropylamine (see picture). With regard to the strong reducing ability of the reduced form of the substance, the chemical nature of the species is discussed with respect to the tripropylamine free radical, which is believed to participate in the formation of the luminescent excited state of [Ru(bpy)3]2+ in both acetonitrile and aqueous solutions. The findings may help understand the complicated anodic oxidation mechanism of trialkylamines, which is crucial to the generation of electrochemiluminescence of [Ru(bpy)3]2+.