The Regioselective Methylation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons through Tricarbonylchromium Coordination

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/jccs.199800106

Deprotonation, methylation, and air oxidation of polycyclic arenes coordinated to chromium(0), (η⁶-arene)Cr(CO)₃, produced ring-methylated products with high selectivity and in good yield. This procedure gave 3-methylbenz[a]anthracene from (η⁶-benz[a]anthracene)Cr(CO)₃, 3-methylphenanthrene from (η⁶-phenanthrene)Cr(CO)₃, 2-acetyl-6-methylphenanthrene from (η⁶-2-acetylphenamhrene)Cr(CO)₃, and 3,7,12-trimethylbenz[a]anthracene from (η⁶-7,12-dimelhylbenz[a]anthracene)Cr(CO)₃.