Electrochemical properties of arylsilanes

In the past, the electrochemical properties of organosilicon compounds were investigated for both fundamental reasons and synthesis purposes. Little is, however, known about the electrochemical behaviour of hydrogen-bearing arylsilanes. Here, we throw light on the electrochemical properties of 11 arylsilanes compounds, 2 of them synthesized for the first time. The oxidation potentials are found to depend on both the nature and number of the aryl groups. Based on these findings it was possible to establish some variation trends that match the expected structure–property correlations. Furthermore, we present first insights into the electrochemical reaction kinetics behind and identify several soluble electrochemical oxidation products.