To investigate the electrochemical synthesis mechanism of the 4-aminopyridine, the electrochemical behavior of 4-nitropyridine-1-oxide under the strong acid conditions was studied by cyclic voltammetry, controlled potential coulometry and some other methods.

For the passed decades, the synthesis of 4-aminopyridine has been performed by the preparation of pyridine-N-oxide from the oxidation of pyridine using H2O2 as oxidant in the presence of acetic acid, and then 4-nitropyridine-N-oxide using the concentrated sulfuric or nitric acid, followed by the reduction using iron powder in the solvent of acetic acid.