CNR loses an electron from nitrogen on the piperazine
ring to form a cation radical, which on losing a proton and an
electron in subsequent steps to form a quaternary Schiff base.
Thus resulted quaternary Schiff base was rapidly hydrolysed to
the secondary amine, 1-benzhydryl-piperazine and an aldehyde,
3-phenyl-propenal. The mechanism is shown in Fig. 11. This observation
was in accordance with the earlier report on the oxidation
of flunarizine, a fluorinated derivative of CNR [25].