ABSTRACT
N-Nitrosamines are reducible in both acid and alkaline solutions. Polarographic data show [207-209] that the protonated compound is reduced in a four-electron reaction, whereas the unprotonated nitrosamine consumes only 2F/mol. Controlled potential reduction has proved [207] the following reactions:
H+ + Acid solution: RR'NNO 4e + 4H7 RR'NNH3 + H20 (29)
Alkaline solution: RR'NNO 2e-+ 2w RR'NH + !N20 + !H20 (30) The electrochemical reduction of N-nitrosamines in acid solution is a convenient
and general synthetic route to dialkylated, unsymmetrical hydrazines [210]. Quite a few nitrosamines were reduced to hydrazines in the classic period, but later investigations [211,212] also indicate a continued interest in the reaction.
