Voltammetric investigations on mercury(II) and silver(I) polyamine complexes in dimethyl sulphoxide solution

he formation of mercury(II) and silver(I) complexes with polyamines in dimethyl sulphoxide solvent has been studied by anodic dissolution of mercury and silver electrodes in the presence of ethylenediamine, sym-dimethyl-ethylenediamine, NNN′N′-tetramethylethylenediamine, propane-1,3-diamine, and triethylenetetramine. D.c. polarography at a dropping mercury electrode, d.c. voltammetry at a solid electrode with periodical renewal of the diffusion layer, cyclic voltammetry, and controlled-potential coulometry has allowed a determination of electrode reaction orders, the complexation steps, and the stability constants of the complex species arising at the electrode surface. Short-lived species have been detected by cyclic voltammetry and the species formed in the bulk of the solution have been identified by coulometry.