Addition of styrene to aromatic hydrocarbons

An interesting reaction related to the selective dimerization of styrene may be the oxo-acid catalyzed addition of styrene to aromatic hydrocarbons to yield 1,1 -diphenyl-ethane derivatives (37) (Eq. (26)). This process differs from the cationic dimerization of styrene in that the unsaturated bond to be attacked by the styryl cation is aromatic, not vinylic as in the latter. Mechanistically, however, these reactions are quite similar, particularly in that both require rapid and efficient deprotonation of the carbo-cationic intermediate formed by the addition of the styryl cation. The high proton-... 

Table 8. Addition of styrene to aromatic hydrocarbons (ArH) ([Styrene] 0,10 M, 70 ° n, 1 hr, conv. ca. 100%)...

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