Photochemical benzylation of 1,4-dicyanonaphthalene; X-ray crystal structure of 6, 11-dicyano-5, 11-methano-5,6, 11,12-tetrahydrodibenzo-[a,e]cyclo-octene

Abstract

The irradiation of 1,4-dicyanonaphthalene in the presence of toluene in acetonitrile gives adducts bearing the benzyl group in positions 1 and 2 of the naphthalene nucleus; two of the isolated products arise from rearomatisation or from a further photoreaction, and the structure of one of the products has been determined by X-ray crystallography