An EPR study of the radicals issued from nitrocatechols and nitrohydroquinone: a new method of production of nitroaromatic anion radicals

Nitrocatechols and nitrohydroquinone have been treated by means of sodium borohydride in oxygenated aqueous solution in a pH range between 9 to 12, and the EPR spectra have been recorded. In all cases, the nitroaromatic anion radical is observed. At pH=12, a semiquinonic radical is observed in the case of nitrohydroquinone and 4- nitrocatechol