Electrochemical chlorination of amines

We have studied the laws governing the electrochemical chlorination of primary and secondary amines in aqueous solution on a ruthenium-titanium anode under conditions of diaphragm electrolysis. It was found that in order to ensure the most complete conversion of the amines into the corresponding chloramines it is necessary to add NaHCO₃ to the electrolyte amine:NaHCO₃=1(1.5–3)]. Under the conditions of electrolysis primary amines are converted almost quantitatively into dichloramines. High yields of the N-chloro-derivatives of secondary amines can be obtained with high current densities and concentrations of NaCl.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 620–625, March, 1990.