Electroreduction of 4-(nitrophenyl) substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines on the mercury electrode in aprotic medium

Abstract

Electrochemical studies on 4-(nitrophenyl) substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines of pharmacological importance have allowed us to generate the one-electron reduction product, the nitro radical anion, ArNȮ- 2 , in aprotic media. Cyclic voltammetric technique have been employed to study the tendency of ArNȮ- 2 to undergo further chemical reaction. Second order kinetics for the decay of ArNȮ- 2 were established for all the 1.4-dihydropyridines examined. The 1,4-dihydropyridine derivatives that have the nitro group in the orto position in the ring shows a trend to give less stable radicals when comparing with meta substitution. The cyclic voltammograms of the couple ArNO2/ArNȮ- 2 has also been examined in the presence and absence of glutathione concluding that it does not exist interaction among glutathione and the nitro radical anions in aprotic media. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.