Past exam of the chemistry course of the year 3 of the natural sciences course of the University of Cambridge / 2022 / Paper 4 / 51 / c / ii

Event a probes electron transfer between the semiquinone and dianion. Benzoquinone's smaller framework localizes charge and undergoes a greater change in bonding and solvation on this reduction; a larger effective reorganization barrier can make its heterogeneous transfer insufficiently fast for Nernst equilibrium on the $50\mathrm{mV}{\mathrm{s}}^{-1}$ time scale. Anthraquinone's extended framework distributes the added charge and can support the more reversible response seen here.

This is a kinetic interpretation of quasi-reversibility, not a claim that benzoquinone cannot be reduced. Follow-up chemistry or adsorption can also distort peak separation and return-current ratios; scan-rate-dependent measurements would distinguish them from slow electron transfer. A single trace does not uniquely identify the cause.