In a matrix of anthracene (An) and 9,10-dihydroanthracene
(AnH2) (1:1) between 350 and 400
°C in pressurized liquid systems, the rates and mechanisms have been
studied for desubstitution
of a number of aromatic compounds: naphthyl-X, with X = Cl, Br, F,
D, CH3, NH2, CHCH2,
OCH3, OH, Ph, C(O)CH3. It appears
that for these compounds hydrogen transfers via
radical
hydrogen transfer (RHT) by 9,10-dihydroanthracenyl radicals
(9-AnH•) or reverse radical
displacement (RRD) with 9,10-dihydroanthracene are the major
desubstitution pathways.
However, for bromo- and chloronaphthalene, desubstitution is much
faster and naphthyldihydroanthracenes and naphthylanthracenes are the main products. In
these cases Radical
displacement (RD) by 9-AnH• is the predominant route.
Also, condensation between An and
naphthyl-X is noticed. During these experiments the hydrogenation
of aromatic rings was
observed as well: anthracene → 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroanthracene and
naphthalene → tetralin. This
process has been studied by employing
naphthalene-d
8. The rate of H/D exchange
appears to be
twice as fast as hydrogenation in the naphthalene molecule. A
thermodynamic and kinetic
rationale is presented to explain the change in mechanism as a function
of the substituent.