The relationship between the electrochemical and photochemical reduction of some azo dyes derived from 2-aminobenzothiazole

Electrochemical and photochemical experiments in ethanol show that the tendency to the reduction of some azo dyes derived from 2-aminobenzothiazole is parallel for both processes. This is attributed to the one-electron reduction of the dyes followed by a protonation of the resulting radical anions. The primary transient products of the reduction process, i.e. the radical anions, and their reactivity are characterized in solution at ambient temperature and under matrix conditions at 77 K by means of pulse radiolysis.