Polarographic reduction of benzylidenemalononitrile

The mechanism of reduction of benzylidenemalononitrile (1), C₆H₅CH=C(CN)₂, at the dropping mercury electrode in aqueous solutions containing 50% methanol changes with pH. In acidic solutions the reduction proceeds by a four-electron transfer to the monoprotonated species, yielding an aminomethyl derivative. In alkaline solutions two one-electron steps involving the vinyl double bond reduction are observed. Hydrolysis of dinitrile 1 to form benzaldehyde complicates the study at high pH values. The system is unique in that at pH 5–6 the unprotonated form is reduced at more positive potentials than the protonated form, reflecting a change in the mechanism of the reduction process.     

Polarographic reduction of pertechnetate

Oxidation states were identified for the products of electrolytic reduction of pertechnetate at the mercury cathode in a variety of media, and for the products of reoxidation upon reversing the cell current. Tast polarography, pulse polarography and triangular-wave voltammetry were employed. The first cathodic wave in acidic phosphate was identified as Tc(VII) → Tc(III) by means of the ratio between it and the Tc(III) → Tc(IV) reoxidation wave obtained on anodic-sweep pulse polarography. This wave was then used as a standard to determine values of n in other media of the same ionic strength. The first wave in acidic media occurred at pH-dependent potential and was found generally to correspond to the formation of Tc(III). The Tc(III) could in some media be reoxidized at the electrode to Tc(IV) or Tc(V). For the second wave in acidic media, which occurred at ?0.9 V, diffusion current measurements indicated that n≤7 with a catalytic component preventing determination of the exact value. In alkaline or unbuffered media the first wave occurred at ?0.8 V and a second wave was sometimes seen at ?1.0 V. The wave heights in alkaline media, while generally proportional to concentration of pertechnetate and varying with drop time in the manner expected for a diffusion current, often corresponded to non-integral values of n. In certain basic media the reduction of pertechnetate led to the formation of an insoluble oxidizable surface film. Under all conditions investigated the reduction of pertechnetate proved to be irreversible.     

Polarographic reduction of quinolide compounds

Conclusions The polarographic reduction of certain sterically hindered cyclohexadienones was studied.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimichekskaya, No. 7, pp. 1659–1661, July, 1970.     

Polarographic reduction of benzazolylsubstituted pyridinium salts

N-Methyl- and N-benzyl-substituted 2-, 3-, and 4-benzazolypyridinium (BAP) salts are reduced on a dropping mercury electrode (DME) to give a free radical in the first step and the corresponding dihydropyridine derivative in the second step. The free radicals of 2- and 4-BAP salts are distinguished by high stability as compared with other radicals with a pyridine structure owing to delocalization of the unpaired electron over the conjugated system and can be recorded by ESR spectroscopy. A peculiarity of the BAP salts is their facile reduction on the electrode; this is particularly true of the 2- and 4-benzoxazolyl- and benzothiazolyl-substituted salts.     

Polarographic reduction behaviour of clay minerals

Suspensions of the clay minerals bentonite, kaolinite illite and chlorite have been examined polarographically and reduction waves found. The differences in their behaviour, with and without the addition of surface active reagents, are reported.     

Polarographic reduction of aqueous sulfur dioxide

Direct- and alternating-current polarograms of aqueous SO₂ · OH₂ solutions show four reduction waves, more than previously reported. Waves I and II probably result from the electroreduction of SO₂ · OH₂ and HSO⁻₃, respectively; these two waves completely overlap at pH 1 but are partially resolved at higher pH values due to different pH dependence. Reduction of SO₂ · OH₂ involves two electrons and two H⁺ ions and the initial product is probably sulfoxylic acid, H₂SO₂. This product can disproportionate to S⁰ and SO₂ · OH₂ in very acidic media (pH ≤ 1) and, in the limit, double the reduction current of SO₂ · OH₂. Reduction of HSO⁻₃ appears to occur via two paths: one is a two-electron three-H⁺ ion path and the other is a one-electron one-H⁺ ion path. The former dominates at pH ≤ 3 and probably produces H₂SO₂; the latter dominates at pH > 4 and may produce SO⁻₂. H₂SO₂ in less acidic media can react with HSO⁻₃ to yield dithionite species (such as H₂S₂O₄, HS₂O⁻₄ and S₂O²⁻₄) and HSO₂ and SO⁻₂ by dissociation of the dithionite species. Waves III and IV are believed to result from reduction of HSO₂ and SO⁻₂, respectively, to H₂SO₂ species.     

Polarographic reduction of some derivatives of chalcone

The derivatives of chalcone listed in Table 1 were investigated by the method of classical polarography in mixtures of Britton-Robinson buffers and ethanol (1 : 1) of pH 2.68–12.4. Although the reduction of the compounds was much the same as described for chalcone some differences were found and are discussed. Essentially, two one-electron waves were obtained which correspond to the reduction of the ethylenic linkage to dihydro derivatives. Some compounds give an additional wave in alkaline medium the height of which depends on pH; the wave corresponds to the reduction of carbonyl group to a secondary alcohol. In alkaline medium the reduction was accompanied by hydration of the ethylenic linkage and then the hydration products of the electroactive species with the OH group in position 2′ cyclized at pH 12.4 to corresponding chromanone derivatives, which were reduced in one two-electron wave. Approximate hammett constants σ were calculated for EtOCOCH₂O and H₂NOCOCH₂O groups from polarographic data as ?0.22 and ?0.09, respectively.     

Polarographic reduction of 1-substituted 1,2,4-triazoles

The polarographic reduction of 1-substituted 1,2,4-triazoles in dimethylformamide (DMF) and acetonitrile was studied. 1-Methyl-, 1-ethyl-, and 1,2,4-triazoles are not reduced on a mercury electrode over the range of potentials accessible for polarography. 1-Phenyl-1,2,4-triazole and 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole are reduced in acetonitrile via a one-electron mechanism at high negative potentials. The reduction of 1-vinyl-1,2,4-triazole is accompanied by polymerization of the electrolysis products. A possible mechanism for the electrochemical reduction is discussed. Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 3, pp. 408–410, March, 1980.