Indirect electrografting of aryl iodides

Abstract The electrografting of 4-iodonitrobenzene that is not possible directly is demonstrated while that of 5-iodo-2-amino-pyridine, 4-iodoaniline and iodobenzene is performed with a decrease of overpotential >2 V. The electrografting of aryl iodides is achieved through an iodine abstraction reaction: in the presence of a sterically hindered diazonium salt (2,6-dimethylbenzenediazonium), the aryl iodide is grafted to gold at the much less negative reduction potential of the diazonium salt.