The nitration of naphthalene (NapH) at a Pt electrode in NaNO2 aqueous solutions in the absence and presence of a non-ionic surfactant, Brij 35, was studied. The electrochemical behavior of the reactants NapH and NaNO2 and their mixture was investigated by cyclic voltammetry to determine their electrolysis conditions. The peak current of NapH decreases monotonically with the NaNO2 concentration, indicating that the oxidation product of NO2- ion interacts with NapH·+. Controlled potential electrolysis were carried out and the products were analyzed by HPLC. 1-nitronaphthalene, 2-nitronaphthalene, 1,2-naphthoquinone, 1,4-naphthoquinone and 1,1'-Binaphthyl (BinapH) were obtained in the micellar solution while in the absence of Brij 35 only naphthoquinones and BinapH were detected. The higher selectivity for 2-NO2NapH in comparison to non-aqueous homogeneous media may be induced by the micelles microenvironment.
electro oxidation; micelles; nitration; naphthalene
