The dehydrogenation of 1,4-dihydronaphthalene by tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone

Abstract

The dehydrogenation of 1,4-dihydronaphthalene by tetrachloro-p-benzoquinone in phenetole solution has been investigated. The present work does not fully confirm earlier studies which report that the reaction follows second-order kinetics and that the hydride ion transfer is rate determining. In the investigations described in this paper second-order kinetics are only observed in the later stages of the reaction and a 1:1 stoichiometry of the reactants in the process is not obtained. Substitution of tritium in the 1,4-positions of the hydrocarbon appears to not significantly affect the reaction rate. The present results indicate that charge-transfer complexes are formed in the reaction and it is suggested that electron transfer within these complexes could be the rate-determining step in the dehydrogenation.