Chemical species produced in the reaction between ethanedial (glyoxal) and 5-amino-1,10-phenanthroline and their iron(II) complexes: preparation and some spectrometric studies

Chemical species obtained by reaction of 5-amino-1, 10-phenanthroline with ethanedial (glyoxal) are reported with regard to their preparation, chemical composition and spectrometric characterization (UV-visible, infrared and liquid secondary ion mass spectrometry). Products of the reaction are postulated to be a mixture of species with molecular weights of 339, 371,480 and 524 u. Chemical reactions leading to these products and possible structural formulas for each of these species are presented. The iron complexes of these ligands, because of their extremely low solubility in most solvents, find application as redox mediators when incorporated in carbon paste electrodes, particularly for sensing in continuous-flow systems.