Electrochemical behaviour of graphite cathodes in the presence of tetraalkylammonium cations

A graphite cathode in N,N-dimethylformamide with tetraalkylammonium salts as supporting electrolyte was found to be able to accept reversibly a rather large charge in a way somewhat akin to the formation of anion radicals and ion pairs of polycondensed aromatic hydrocarbons. The charged graphite has certain similarities with an amalgam, it can thus be used as an insoluble chemical reducing agent. The charging of the graphite depends on the size of the cation, in the presence of very large cations the cathode disintegrates. The nature of the charge is discussed on the basis of i-E curves and coulometric results.