Electrochimica Acta, Vol.47, No.12, 1989-1995, 2002
Direct electrochemical reduction of indigo
Reducing agents required in the dyeing process for vat and sulfur dyes cannot be recycled, and lead to problematic waste products. Therefore, modern economical and ecological requirements are not fulfilled. The application of direct electrochemical reduction of indigo as a novel route has been investigated by spectrophotometric and voltammetric experiments in laboratory cells. Experiments yield information about the reaction mechanism and the kinetics, and they show the possibility of this new route for production of water-soluble indigo, which offers tremendous environmental benefits.