Radiolytic reactions of nitro blue tetrazolium under oxidative and reductive conditions: a pulse radiolysis study

The radiolytic reactions of the ditetrazolium salt nitro blue tetrazolium c hloride (NBTCl2) were studied by pulse radiolysis technique in aqueous solu tion under reducing and oxidising conditions with the aim of potential dosi metry application. Under reducing conditions the fast formation of the tetr azolinyl radical is observed that is followed by the appearance of monoform azan (MF+), i.e. one of the tetrazolium rings is reduced to formazan. The f ormation of the water-insoluble diformazan, i.e, the result of the second r eduction step was not observed in pulse radiolysis. Formazan formation was not found under oxidative conditions. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.