The electrochemical behavior of 4-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline at a glassy carbon electrode in acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and room-temperature ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethyl sulfonyl), [EMIM][NTf2],was studied using cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. Our data showthat the electrochemical reduction of 4-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline in nonaqueous solvents takes place in two consecutive processes. In the first step, a reversible two-electron (two-proton) process leading to 4-(hydroxyamino)-N,N-dimethylaniline, whereas in the second step, an irreversible two-electron (two-proton) process reduces 1,2-bis(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)diazene oxide to 4,4-(diazene-1,2-diyl)bis(N,N-dimethyl aniline). The diffusion coefficient of 4-nitroso-N,N-dimethylaniline in aqueous buffered solution and in acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and [EMIM][NTf2], was also determined using the single potential-step chronoamperometry technique. It is found that the diffusion coefficient varies from 3.7 × 10−5 cm2 s−1 in aqueous solution to 1.31 × 10−7 cm2 s−1 in [EMIM][NTf2].
