Abstract
The mechanism of the reduction of natural and synthetic coumarins at a dropping mercury electrode is examined. The dependence of the half-wave potential on chemical structure is demonstrated by means of correlation equations and quantum-chemical characteristics. The polarographic properties are interpreted in terms of other physicochemical characteristics (optical, adsorption, polarisation, kinetics of important chemical reactions, microwave-spectroscopic, etc.). Polarography can be applied in various fields of the chemistry of coumarins (in the study of adsorption, complex formation, inhibition of chain oxidations, and the mechanism of organic reactions). A list of 200 references is included.