Cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential (bulk) electrolysis have been employed to investigate the reduction of 4,4′-(2,2,2-trichloroethane-1,1-diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDT) at silver cathodes in dimethylformamide (DMF) containing 0.050 M tetramethylammonium tetrafluoroborate (TMABF₄). In addition, this work has been extended to the individual reductions of two degradation products, namely 4,4′-(2,2-dichloroethane-1,1-diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDD) and 4,4′-(ethene-1,1-diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDNU). At a scan rate of 100 mV s⁻¹, cyclic voltammograms for irreversible reduction of DDT at a silver electrode exhibit four prominent cathodic peaks in DMF and CH₃CN, and three prominent cathodic peaks in DMSO. On the other hand, reduction of DDD and DDNU at silver in DMF–0.050 M TMABF₄ displays four and two irreversible peaks, respectively. Carbon–chlorine bonds of the –CCl₃ moiety of DDT and of the –CHCl₂ moiety of DDD are reduced more easily at silver than at glassy carbon. Bulk electrolyses of DDT at a silver gauze cathode in DMF–0.050 M TMABF₄ afford a potential-dependent mixture of products that includes DDD, DDNU, 4,4′-(2,2-dichloroethene-1,1-diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDE), 4,4′-(2-chloroethene-1,1-diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDMU), 4,4′-(2-chloroethane-1,1-diyl)bis(chlorobenzene) (DDMS), 1-chloro-4-(1-phenylvinyl)benzene (PVB), 1,1′-diphenylethylene (DPE), and 1,1′-ethylidenebisbenzene (EBB). However, at more negative potentials, the principal products are completely dechlorinated DPE and EBB. Dechlorination of DDT at silver appears to proceed via a series of steps involving carbanion intermediates arising from direct reduction of alkyl and aryl carbon–chlorine bonds along with hydroxide-promoted E2 elimination of chloride. When DMF-d₇ was used as solvent, no evidence for deuterium atom incorporation into any product was seen, which indicates that radical intermediates do not play a significant role in the reduction of DDT.

循环伏安法和控制电位（本体）电解已用于研究在二甲基甲酰胺中银阴极上4,4'-（2,2,2-三氯乙烷-1,1-二基）双（氯苯）（DDT）的还原（DMF）含有0.050 M四氟硼酸四甲基铵（TMABF ₄）。此外，这项工作已扩展到两种降解产物的单独还原，即4,4'-（2,2-二氯乙烷-1,1-二基）双（氯苯）（DDD）和4,4'-（乙烯-1,1-二基）双（氯苯）（DDNU）。在100 mV s ^-1的扫描速率下，用于在银电极上不可逆还原DDT的循环伏安图在DMF和CH _3中显示四个突出的阴极峰CN和DMSO中三个突出的阴极峰。另一方面，在DMF–0.050 M TMABF _4中，银处DDD和DDNU的减少分别显示了四个和两个不可逆的峰。与玻璃碳相比，DDT的–CCl ₃部分和DDD的–CHCl ₂部分的碳-氯键更容易还原。在DMF–0.050 M TMABF ₄中的银丝网阴极上的DDT大量电解提供了包括DDD，DDNU，4,4'-（2,2-二氯乙烯-1,1-二基）双（氯苯）（DDE），4,4'-（2-氯乙烯- 1,1-二基）双（氯苯）（DDMU），4,4'-（2-氯乙烷-1,1-二基）双（氯苯）（DDMS），1-氯-4-（1-苯基乙烯基）苯（PVB），1,1'-二苯基乙烯（DPE）和1,1'-亚乙基双苯（EBB）。但是，在较大的负电位下，主要产品是完全脱氯的DPE和EBB。滴滴涕在银上的脱氯似乎是通过一系列步骤进行的，这些步骤涉及碳还原中间体，该中间体由烷基和芳基碳-氯键的直接还原以及氢氧化物促进的E2消除氯引起。当DMF- d ₇ 将其用作溶剂，没有发现氘原子掺入任何产品的证据，这表明自由基中间体在DDT的还原中没有重要作用。