KINETICS AND STEREOELECTROCHEMISTRY OF ELECTRON-TRANSFER REACTIONS OF3-NITROPHTALIC ANION INHIBITED BY N-OCTANOL AND N-DECANOL IN WATER-ETHANOL MIXTURES

The kinetics of the inhibited electroreduction of 3-nitrophtalic acid anion to free radical anion was studied at mercury electrodes in the p resence of adsorbed n-octanol and n-decanol in aqueous solutions and i n mixed water-ethanol solvent (up to 40 vol.% of ethanol) with 0.50M N aClO4 and 0.05M NaOH as electrolytes. The rate constants were interpre ted in terms of the competitive adsorption of the solvent activated co mplex and inhibitor molecules on the electrode surface. From the depen dence of the rate constant of inhibited reactions on the inhibitor con centration the values of steric factor, r/r(i), were calculated. In a queous solutions and water rich mixtures, these values are much higher than those found for the electrodeposition type reactions. They are c onsiderably decreased in 40 vol.% ethanol. The possible reasons of thi s change are discussed.