The electrochemical reduction of acetonylacetone on a mercury
cathode in aqueous hydrochloric acid medium has been studied. It
has been shown that the electroactive species is the protonated
form of acetonylacetone. The experimental results indicate -that
the rate of electrochemical reduction is dependent upon the preceding
chemical protonation step and/or adsorption of the electroactive
species. The electrolysis at controlled potential (- 1.2 V
vs. S. C. E .) yielded the following products : acetaldehyde; acetone,
acetic acid, 2,5-hexanediol and 2,5-dimethyltetrahydrofuran. Possible
mechanistic routes leading to the formation of these products
are discussed