Alternating current polarography of metal carbonyl complexes in nonaqueous solvents

Using commercially available instrumentation, a supporting electrolyte and electrode system was devised which permits ac polarography of organometallic compounds, transition metal complexes, and other substances in nonaqueous solvents such as methanol, N,N-dimethylformamide, or acetonitrile. The first two solvents mentioned were found to be far superior to the latter. Tetrabutylammonium perchlorate electrolyte (0.1 M or less) in methanol, for example, affords a fairly flat baseline in the applied dc potential range of 0 to ?3 V with well-shaped voltammetric peaks for most reducible substances. A unique feature of the method, which permits one to easily obtain replicable polarograms and peak potentials, is the use of a mercury pool auxiliary electrode rather than the usual platinum or tungsten electrodes.