Bulk controlled potential electrolysis experiments have been performed on a wide range of n- alkyl-substituted esters and thioic S-esters of pyridine and benzene in dry acetonitrile with tetraalkylammonium salts as the supporting electrolyte. In most cases, the bulk one-electron reduction of oxygen esters results in unstable or semistable radicals being formed that decompose via loss of the alkyl radical to leave the carboxylate anion in high yield (ca. 70- ...
