The polarography of cyclooctatetra-ene and vinyl cyclooctatetra-ene

Abstract

The polarography of cyclooctatetra-ene and of a new derivative, vinyl cyclooctatetra-ene, has beeh examined. Previously published work by Elofsen on cyclooctatetra-ene has been confirmed, and it has been shown that the recently isolated vinyl derivative is almost identical in polarographic behaviour with the parent compound. Both compounds give waves at the same half-wave potential, which is independent of the pH of the solution. It has also been found that cis-1-phenyl-1 : 3-butadiene is polarographically inert.

Studies in valence isomerism of unsaturated paramagnetic species

“…The ions formed react with water to give a mixture of lg3»5 and 1,3,6 cyclooctatrienes (34) and with carbon dioxide to give a dicarboxylic acid (12). Polarographic studies show that cyclooctatetraene is reduced at the high wave potential of -1.5 volts (35) and that the reduction Involved a two electron process independent of pH (36,37) indicating that protons are not involved in the reduction step. When the reduction by potassium in tetrahydrofuran is studied by nmr spectroscopy, the signal due to cyclooctatetraene is seen to decrease accompanied by the appearance of a broad band.…”