THE HYDROGENATION OF 9,10-DIMETHYLANTHRACENE BY HYDRIDOPENTACARBONYLMANGANESE(I). EVIDENCE FOR A FREE-RADICAL MECHANISM

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0022-328X(00)82954-X

The reaction of 9,10-dimethylanthracene with HMn(CO)5 yields a nearly equimolar mixture of cis- and trans-9,10-dihydro-9,10-dimethylanthracene.The results of kinetic and isotopic tracer studies provide support for a free-radical mechanism in which the rate-determining step is the transfer of a hydrogen atom from HMn(CO)5 to 9,10-dimethylanthracene.