Electrochemical Behavior of Azobenzene-4,4'-disulfonamide at Pyrolitic Graphite Electrode

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.66.205

The electrochemical reduction of azobenzene-4,4'-disulfonamide (1), an oxidation product of sulfanilamide, has been studied at Pyrolytic graphite electrode, over a wide pH range of 3.0 to 10.6 in the Britton Robinson buffers, by electrochemical and spectroscopic techniques.Under cyclic voltammetric conditions the 2e^-, 2H⁺ reduction of this compound was found to give hydrazobenzene-4,4'-disulfonamide which has been characterised using IR, mp, mass and NMR spectra.Under controlled potential electrolysis, the presence of two electron withdrawing -SO2NH2 groups was found to cause the slow disproportionation -3 s^-1> of the hydrazo compound and sulfanilamide has been found as the major product of reduction.A plausible mechanism for the ECE reduction of 1 is suggested.