Abstract The initiation of the radical chain addition of Fn butyl iodide to alkynols through the cathodic reduction of the halide at a carbon cathode is presented. A simplified analysis, based on cyclic voltammetry affords an estimation of the ratio of the rate constants of the two propagation steps, addition of R f to alkynol and iodine atom transfer from the F-alkyl iodide to the resulting vinyl radical, involved in the radical chain mechanism.
