Electrochemical behaviour of 4-nitroimidazole and 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole

The electrochemical behaviour of the title imidazoles (HRNO2) has been investigated in dimethylformamide and acetonitrile by polarography, cyclic voltammetry and controlled-potential electrolysis and coulometry. The above nitroimidazoles present similar behaviour, displaying two reduction waves paralleled by two reduction peaks in linear sweep voltammetry. The first peak is irreversible up to a sweep rate of 250 V s−1, while the second one appears to be reversible even at low sweep rates.