Fluorene → 1,2-Bis(fluorenyl)ethane

The ligand bis(fluorenyl)ethane was prepared as follows. To 0.2 mole fluorene in 200 mL ether was added 0.2 mole butyllithium (1.6 M in hexane) at a rate of 0.15 mL/min. at room temperature. The reaction mixture was stirred for one hour, and 0.1 mole 1,2 dibromoethane was added slowly and stirred for 3 hours. The volume was reduced to 150 mL, filtered and the pale yellow solid was washed 2 times with 50 mL distilled water. The pale yellow solid was dried and washed with 100 mL of pentane to yield white 1,2-bis(fluorenyl)ethane. The yield was 80%.