The electrochemical oxidation and reduction of the stable neutral nitroxyl radical gave the oxoaminium salt and hydroxylamine or nitroxyl anion, respectively. The electrochemical behavior of the N‐butylnitroxyl radicals or N‐butylhydroxylamines built in to various phenylenevinylene species were discussed in connection with its developed π‐conjugated structure based on cyclic voltammetric measurements. The aromatic nitroxyl radical showed two pairs of oxidation–reduction waves, but the acidic proton (hydroxylamine) changed its cathodic peak to a broad one with a shift to the anodic side. The π‐conjugated poly(phenylenevinylene) backbone and mobile proton of the hydroxylamine unstabilized the nitroxyl radical by retaining the energy gap. Copyright © 1995 John Wiley &amp
Sons, Ltd.