Acetone → [Bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)(2-methylindol-3-yl)]methane

Participants

Reaction Steps

Two grams of potassium hydroxide was added slowly to a mixture of 6.3 g of [bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)(4-methylphenylsulfonyl)]methane, 2.5 g of 2-methylindole and 75.0 ml of acetone. The resulting slurry was stirred for approximately 24 hours at ambient temperature. Fifty milliliters of isopropyl alcohol was added to the reaction mixture to effect complete solution. Slowly with stirring, the resulting solution was added to one liter of water and the solid which formed was collected by filtration. The wet filter cake was suspended in 100.0 ml of isopropyl alcohol and stirred approximately thirty minutes. The solid was collected by filtration, washed twice with 25.0 ml of isopropyl alcohol each and dried to obtain 5.1 g of [bis(4-dimethylaminophenyl)(2-methylindol-3-yl)]methane Formula IV: R1 =R2 =R4 =R9 =R11 =H; R3 =R5 =N(CH3)2 ; R10 =CH3), a pale gray-colored solid which melted at 198°-202° C. A significant infrared maximum appeared at 740 (C--H;s) cm-1. The nuclear magnetic resonance spectrum was concordant with the assigned structure. A toluene solution of the product spotted on an acid clay-coated paper or a phenolic resin-coated paper slowly developed a grape-colored image.

Provenance & Evidence