Polarography of some arylazothiohydantoin derivatives

Abstract

The polarographic behaviour of a series of arylazothiohydantoin derivatives has been investigated at a dropping mercury electrode. Two waves were displayed. The first and predominant one is due to the reductive splitting of the azo-linkage by a 4e irreversible process. The second is assumed to be for the reduction of the CONHCO group in the resulting molecule. A mechanism for the electrode process covering a wide range of pH is proposed, discussed, and clarified via model compounds, identification of the resulting products of electrolysis, pK_a determinations, and the interpretation of σ–E_½ plots.