Sulfuric Acid → 1,1,3,3-Tetramethyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-indene

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A mixture of 117.26 g of α-Methylstyrene (Aldrich 99%, 0.98 mol) and 73.0 g of t-Butanol (Aldrich 99%, 0.97 mol) were slowly added (1 hour) to a mixture of 200 g of acetic acid and 200 g of sulfuric acid, previously warmed at 40° C. The suspension so-obtained was stirred 30 min at 40° C. and then the 2 layers were separated. The organic layer was washed with a 0.7 M NaOH acqueous solution (3×50 ml, neutrality) and water (2×50 ml). The opaque yellow solution obtained was then distilled at 26 mbar. At about 100° C. a colourless transparent liquid was distilled off (28.43 g), which was characterized by NMR as pure 1,1,3,3 tetramethylindane (16.6% yield).

Provenance & Evidence