Nucleophilic substitution in the 10,11-dihydrodibenz[b,f]iodepinium cation

Article abstract of DOI:10.1007/BF02251673

10,11-Dihydrodibenz[b,f]iodepinium tetrafluoroborate gave only 1-(2-azidophenyl)-2-(2-iodophenylethane with the N₃^- in aqueous DMSO, while -with NO₂^- it gave 1-(2-nitrophenyl)-2-(2-iodophenyl)ethane (93%), 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (5%), and traces of phenanthrene. Both in pure and aqueous DMSO this cation with the Br^- ion was converted into phenanthrene (80% and 68% respectively) and 1-(2-bromophenyl)-2-(2-iodophenyl)ethane (10 and 20%), while in water it gave 9,10-dihydrophenanthrene (75%) and phenanthrene (5%). A new route for the synthesis of 1-(2-aminophenyl)-2-phenylethane starting from this tetrafluoroborate has been proposed. 1999 KluwerAcademic/Plenum.