Electrochemical behavior of C-methoxy, amino, cyano, and mercapto nitrones

Abstract

The redox behavior of various C-substituted nitrones was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in acetonitrile. These included C-methoxynitrones (MeO)CR = N(O)t-Bu with R = C6H5(1a), p-MeOC6H4 (1b), p-NO2C6H4 (1c), and H (1d) and nitrones YCH = N(O)t-Bu with Y = n-BuS (2a), CN (2b), and C6H5NH (2c). All gave anodic peaks which can be identified as oxidations of the nitrone function. Controlled potential electrolysis of 1a at 1.05 V (SCE) showed that its oxidation was a one-electron process. Reduction of 1a occurs stepwise at −2.08 and at −2.47 V, the same potential for reduction of methyl N-tert-butylbenzimidate (MeO)CPh = Nt-Bu. With electrochemical windows of ca. 3 V, all of the nitrones studied appear suitable for spin-trapping experiments.