Electrooxidation of olefins at a silver electrode

The anodic oxidation of ethylene and propylene was carried out at a silver electrode under constant current conditions (galvanostatic) with the olefin and/or oxygen dissolved in the alkaline electrolyte at 23 ± 2′C. At current densities in the range of 10−5 to 10−9 A/cm2, the anodic oxidation of silver was accelerated in the presence of dissolved oxygen and retarded in the presence of ethylene. Product analysis demonstrated the formation of ethylene glycol under anodic oxidation conditions in the presence of ethylene and of propylene oxide in the presence of propylene. A mechanism is proposed to elucidate the effects of oxygen and ethylene on the anodic oxidation of silver and ethylene.