Non-typical influence of adsorbed 1-octanol on electroreduction of 1-nitropentane on mercury electrodes

The electroreduction of 1-nitropentane in the absence and in the presence o f 1-octanol was studied. In the absence of inhibitor, 1-nitropentane at con centrations near to saturation is adsorbed weakly on mercury electrodes. In the presence of smaller concentrations of inhibitors, such as 1-octanol, 1 -nitropentane electroreduction is inhibited less than that of nihromethane under comparable conditions. This difference was explained by the larger af finity of 1-nitropentane to the alcohol-rich surface phase and nitromethane to the aqueous solution phase. The increased affinity of the reactant to t he electrode surface phase at the 1-octanol relative concentration, c/c(s), exceeding 0.7, may explain the independence of the electroreduction rate c onstant of 1-nitropentane and, even, its increase when the bulk concentrati on of inhibitor approached the saturation.