Polarographic behaviour of mononitrophenols in aqueous buffered solutions

ABSTRACT

The electroreduction of o-m- and p- nitrophenol has been extensively studied using the dropping mercury electrode. It was shown that in acid media, nitrophenols generally produce along two polarographic steps. The first is usually well-defined, and is attributed to the reduction of the nitro group to the corresponding hydroxylamine via a four-electron process. The second step usually somewhat drawn-out, is ascribed to further reduction to the amine via a two-electron transfer process. In alkaline media, on the other hand, the three isomers, are reduced quite differently