Boron trifluoride → Bis(1-methylethyl)benzene

Participants

Reaction Steps

12 g. (0.1 mol) cumene is dissolved in 150 ml anhydrous hydrogen fluoride and while keeping the stirred solution at -20° C. to 0° C., 0.05 mol of propylene is introduced and stirring continued for 15 min. The reaction mixture is then saturated with boron trifluoride and stirring continued for another 15 min. After workup, 41% diisopropylbenzene was obtained, comprised of 99.6% of meta and 0.4% para isomer, together with about 15% 1,3,5-triisopropylbenzene, which can be recycled under conditions of Example 6 to produce more meta-diisopropylbenzene.

Provenance & Evidence