An Application of Current-pulse Electrolysis to an Electro-initiated Polymerization of Acrylamide

A unidirectional current pulse was applied to the electro-initiated polymerization of acrylamide in a Kolbe system, and the behavior of intermediate was investigated. The formation rate of the oligomer during the current-on pulse was not affected by the pulse length, and it was almost the same as that under steady conditions. An oligomer was also formed during current-off pulse. The formation rate of the oligomer during the current-off pulse was calculated on the base of the mechanism presented in previous papers; the calculated results agreed well with the experimental results. The half-life time of intermediate radical, [RM·], was about 10 ms.