The reduction of propyleneglycol dinitrate, nitroglycerin, dinitrotoluene, and trinitrotoluene on silver electrodes

Abstract

The nitrate esters propyleneglycol 1,2-dinitrate and nitroglycerin, as well as the aromatic nitro compounds, dinitrotoluene and trinitrotoluene, are electrochemically reducible on silver electrodes. Concentrations as low as 0.5 mg l −1 are readily detectable at scan rates of 5 mV s −1 in unstirred solutions. Peak potentials vary with the nature of the electrolyte anion. The ortho, meta, and para isomers of dinitrotoluene yield different voltammograms; the ortho and para isomers show two reduction peaks but only a single peak is found for the three meta isomers. Constant-current, exhaustive electrolysis studies of 2,5-dinitrotoluene show two reduction stages, corresponding to three-electron and five-electron reductions.