The electrochemical behaviour of three H-coal liquids, ASO, ASB and VSO, has been characterized by cyclic voltammetry at glassy carbon electrodes. Voltammograms obtained for the three intact coal liquids in methanol/water solution showed a broad, irreversible anodic wave at +0.5 V versus saturated calomel electrode. In order to determine which components of the coal liquids were primarily responsible for the observed electrochemistry, two column chromatography procedures were employed to separate the ASO, ASB and VSO into several fractions on the basis of functional group content. Subsequent cyclic voltammograms recorded for the resulting chromatographic fractions exhibited substantial anodic current only for the fractions designated as containing predominantly aromatic, polar aromatic/N-heterocyclic, and monophenolic components. Of these, the phenolic fractions appeared to account largely for the +0.5 V wave observed for the intact coal liquids. Chromatographic fractions corresponding to other functional groups exhibited only slight electrochemical activity, or none at all, under the conditions employed.