Electrochemical properties of polycyclic compounds studied by the polarographic method in anhydrous systems. VI. The influence of proton-donor on reduction of carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons in anhydrous environment.

The authors have studied the electrochemical behaviour of a series of carcinogenic and inactive aromatic hydrocarbons in anhydrous environment in the presence of a proton-donor. As anhydrous environment the authors used water-free dimethylformamide and dimethylsulfoxide; as proton-donor phenol. Phenol gave rise to quantitative changes in the number of polarographic waves when the carcinogenic aromatic hydrocarbons were undergoing reduction. Between the two original waves there originated in the presence of phenol a new polarographic wave in these hydrocarbons. In inactive analogues of the investigated hydrocarbons no such effect of phenol has been ascertained. In their present study the authors discuss the potential mechanism of electroreduction of carcinogenic and inactive aromatic hydrocarbons in anhydrous environment in the presence of a proton-donor and compare the values of half-wave potentials of the investigated compounds measured in water-free dimethylformamide, dimethylformamide + phenol and in ethylenglycolmonomethylether.