Nitric Acid → 1-Methyl-3-phenylindane

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Reaction Steps

A mixture of 90 parts of styrene, 183 parts of o-chlorostyrene and 117 parts of o-chloroethylbenzene is added to a mixture of 722 parts of 93 per cent strength by weight phosphoric acid and 7.5 parts of 65 per cent strength by weight nitric acid at 35° to 40° C over 5 hours. The emulsion 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 26 parts of 1-methyl-3-phenylindan and 148.5 parts of 1-methyl-3-(o-chloro)-phenylindan (b.p. 165° to 168° C (10 mm), nD25 : 1.5890).

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