Voltammetric oxidation of naphthalene derivatives

A group of 26 naphthalene derivatives was investigated by cyclic voltammetry on a glassy carbon electrode. The compounds were dissolved in water–acetone (1:1 v/v) mixture to which 0.1 M tetramethylammonium tetrafluoroborate was added, as the supporting electrolyte. The measurements were done at room temperature. Oxidation peak current intensities and potentials were measured, and the numbers of electrons transferred were calculated, using Randles–Ševčik equation. The peak potentials were correlated with the calculated, by AM1 program, energies of the highest occupied molecular orbitals of the compounds studies. The obtained data were tabulated, and cyclic voltammograms of naphthalene and acenaphthene, together with the peak potentials correlation, are shown as figures.