Aspects of the Chemistry of Donor Solvent Coal Dissolution Reactions. The Reduction of Benzophenone and the Diproportionation of Benzhydrol in Hydrocarbon Solvents at High Temperature

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00190a005

The reduction of benzophenone by hydrogen donor molecules such as tetralin and dihydroanthracene to give diphenylmethane was investigated in the temperature range 300-400 deg C.Several lines of evidence indicate that the reaction occurs in three distinct stages.The first stage is a radical process which gives benzhydrol.In the second stage, this intermediate undergoes an S_N reaction to produce water and bis(diphenylmethyl) ether.The ether disproportionates in a readily initiated, free radical chain reaction to give diphenylmethane and benzophenone.