Construction of electrocatalytic electrodes bearing the triphenylamine nucleus covalently bound to carbon. A halogen dance in protonated aminotriphenylamines

[reaction: see text]. The triarylamine nucleus has been attached to a carbon fiber electrode by diazotization of an aminotriphenylamine followed by electrochemical reduction. The resulting electrodes can electrocatalyze the oxidation of organic substrates. In acid, 4-amino-4',4' '-dibromotriphenylamine undergoes dismutation into a mixture of amines containing from 0 to 3 bromine atoms.