title: A spectrophotometric and polarographic investigation of three new cyclohexene-substituted benzodiazepines.
abstract: Three recently introduced benzodiazepine derivatives, tetrazepam (I), nortetrazepam (II) and menitrazepam (III) have been subjected to spectral and polarographic investigation. From the ultraviolet spectral data their pK(a)-values have been determined: 4.28 (I), 4.3 (II) and 3.5 (III). From the polarographic measurements it can be concluded that in I and II the 4,5 CN double bond is reduced with 2 electrons. For the first time for the benzodiazepine series it has been observed that in slightly alkaline solutions this process takes place in two separate 1-electron steps. In III, first the aromatic nitro group is reduced to a hydroxylamine group, then at more negative potentials the CN double bond is also reduced; its reduction wave mostly coalesces with that for the 6-electron reduction of the nitro group to an amino group. A differential pulse polarographic method is presented, for the determination of I, II, III at concentrations as low as 10(-7)M.
authors.affiliation: J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry and Electrochemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, 118 40 Prague 1, Czechoslovakia.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Volke
authors.forename: M M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Ellaithy
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Manousek