Oxidation of cumene hydroperoxide on glassy carbon electrodes in aqueous solution and its interaction with ascorbic and gallic acids

The cumene hydroperoxide oxidation on glassy carbon electrodes involves an irreversible one-electron transfer to peroxide and phenoxy radicals, being the main end products hydroquinone and acetone. The overall oxidation mechanism occurs in two steps: formation of acetone and a phenoxy radical, and the reaction of this phenoxy radical with water, getting stability by oxidizing into p-benzoquinone The interaction of such radicals with ascorbic and gallic acids decreases the oxidation signal of cumene hydroperoxide in differential pulse voltammetry. This decrease, due to the scavenging of the radicals formed after the electron transfer, is related to the antioxidant activities. So, it is possible to substitute the mercury as a probe for the electrochemical determination of antioxidant activity.