Phosphoric Acid → 1-Methyl-3-phenylindane

Participants

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 90 parts of styrene, 230 parts of o-chlorostyrene and 70 parts of o-chloroethylbenzene is added to 700 parts of 92 per cent strength by weight phosphoric acid at 35° to 40° C over 5 hours, whilst stirring vigorously. The mixture is stirred for a further 2 hours at 35° to 40° C and the organic phase is then separated off and washed with 200 parts of 3 per cent strength by weight sodium hydroxide solution. Fractional distillation at 10 mm Hg gives 25.5 parts of 1-methyl-3-phenylindan, 108 parts of 1-methyl-3-(o-chloro)-phenylindan (b.p. 165° to 168° C (10 mm), nD25 : 1.5890) and 4.5 parts of 1-methyl-3-(o-chloro)-phenyl-7-chloroindan (b.p. 195° to 200° C (10 mm)).

Provenance & Evidence