ELECTROCHEMICAL-BEHAVIOR OF MUTAGENIC NITRO AND AMINO DERIVATIVES OF CARBAZOLE

The electrochemical behavior of nitro and amino carbazole derivatives has been investigated. In aprotic medium, both in reduction and oxidat ion, the electrochemical process is complicated by ''father-son'' prot onation reactions. In protic medium, the hydroxylamines resulting from 4-electron reduction of nitrocarbazoles are unstable in very acidic m edium, but relatively stable in acetic or ammoniacal buffer, except fo r 3-hydroxyl-aminocarbazole; reduction of amino-nitrocarbazoles leads to unstable hydroxylamines. Oxidation of aminocarbazoles is a 2-electr on process, the 2-amino compounds being more difficult to oxidize than the 3-amino derivatives. Thr relationships between these electrochemi cal behaviors and mutagenic properties of the studied compounds are al so discussed.