The half-wave potentials of polarographic reduction of the carbonyl group in unsubstituted and N-methyl- and N-phenylsulfonyl-substituted 1- and 4-oxotetrahydrocarbazoles and their reactivities in reactions with nucleophilic (NaBH4, malonodinitrile, and cyanoacetamide) and electrophilic (DMF dimethyl acetal) reagents were compared. 4-Oxotetrahydrocarbazoles are much less reactive than 1-oxotetrahydrocarbazoles.

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