Indian Journal of Chemistry Vol. 44B, August 2005, pp. 1713-1716 Note Studies in the synthesis of bibenzyl The m.p. of the synthesized stilbene was 110°C and that of bibenzyl was 52°C. In the IR spectrum, the S S Mahajan* & V A Kamath C-H stretching of the trans CH = CH unit in stilbene, C. U. Shah College of Pharmacy, S. N. D. T. Women’s was recorded at 3050 cm-1. The IR spectrum of University, Sir Vithaldas Vidyavihar, Santacruz (West), bibenzyl showed C-H stretching at 2954 cm–1. The Mumbai 400 049, India. NMR spectrum of stilbene showed peaks at δ 7.45 (s, E-mail:
[email protected] 10H, Ar) and at δ 3.35 (d, J = 18, 2H, 2 × CH). The Received 24 June 2004; accepted (revised) 15 February 2005 NMR spectrum of bibenzyl showed peaks at δ 2.7 (s, 4H, 2 × CH2) and δ 6.9 (s, 10H, Ar). Synthesis of bibenzyl has been attempted using Friedel-Crafts The comparative overall percent yields of bibenzyl, reaction, Wurtz reaction, Wolff Kishner reduction using hydrazine calculated based on the starting material used, the hydrate and reductions involving Zn-NiCl2.6H2O and sodium bis- (2-methoxyethoxy)-aluminium hydride (a Vitride reagent). The reaction time and the number of steps involved in four yields of bibenzyl obtained by the four different routes have been different synthetic routes are tabulated in Table I. compared. A single-step reduction of stilbene using Zn- Scheme I shows a two-step reaction and bibenzyl NiCl2.6H2O results in the highest yield.