ELECTROCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION OF REDUCTION OF MERCURY COMPLEXES OF 2-AMINOCYCLOPENTENE-1-DITHIOCARBOXYLIC ACID AND SOME OF ITS DERIVATIVES AT MERCURY-ELECTRODES

Electrochemical techniques of polarography, cyclic voltammetry, and co ntrolled potential electrolysis at mercury electrodes have permitted a detailed investigation of the reduction reactions associated with mer cury 2-aminocyclopentene dithiocarboxylate complexes, Hg(ACD)(2), in d imethyl sulphoxide (DMSO). As a complementary study, the electrochemis try of the ligands themselves was investigated in DMSO solutions and a t mercury electrodes. The lability of mercury(II) complexes and their rapid interaction with elemental mercury strongly influence the nature of the redox processes observed at mercury electrodes. Reduction of H g(ACD)(2) at a mercury electrode occurs in an overall two-electron ste p as: Hg(ACD)(2) + 2e(-) reversible arrow Hg + 2 ACD(-) although mercu ry(I) is implicated as an intermediate.