Anthracene, purification

Purification of anthracene. Dissolve 0-3 g. of crude anthracene (usually yellowish in colour) in 160-200 ml. of hexane, and pass the solution through a column of activated alumina (1 5-2 X 8-10 cm.). Develop the chromatogram with 100 ml. of hexane. Examine the column in the hght of an ultra-violet lamp. A narrow, deep blue fluorescent zone (due to carbazole, m.p. 238°) will be seen near the top of the column. Immediately below this there is a yellow, non-fluorescent zone, due to naphthacene (m.p. 337°). The anthracene forms a broad, blue-violet fluorescent zone in the lower part of the column. Continue the development with hexane until fluorescent material commences to pass into the filtrate. Reject the first runnings which contain soluble impurities and yield a paraffin-hke substance upon evaporation. Now elute the column with hexane-benzene (1 1) until the yellow zone reaches the bottom region of the column. Upon concentration of the filtrate, pure anthracene, m.p. 215-216°, which is fluorescent in dayhght, is obtained. The experiment may be repeated several times in order to obtain a moderate quantity of material. 

In Europe, where an abundant supply of anthracene has usually been available, the preferred method for the manufacture of anthraquinone has been, and stiU is, the catalytic oxidation of anthracene. The main problem has been that of obtaining anthracene, C H q, practically free of such contaminants as carbazole and phenanthrene. Many processes have been developed for the purification of anthracene. Generally these foUow the scheme of taking the cmde anthracene oil, redistilling, and recrystaUizing it from a variety of solvents, such as pyridine (22). The purest anthracene may be obtained by azeotropic distillation with ethylene glycol (23). 

Benz[a]anthracene-7,12-dione, available from Eastman Organic Chemicals, was used without further purification. 

Has been purified by co-distillation with ethylene glycol (boils at 197.5°), from which it can be recovered by additn of water, followed by crysm from 95% EtOH, benzene, toluene, a mixture of benzene/xylene (4 1), or EtjO. It has also been chromatographed on alumina with pet ether in a dark room (to avoid photo-oxidation of adsorbed anthracene to anthraquinone). Other purification methods include sublimation in a N2 atmosphere (in some cases after refluxing with sodium), and recrystd from toluene [Gorman et al. J Am Chem Soc 107 4404 1985]. 

Benz[a]anthracene [56-55-3] M 228.3, m 159-160". Crystd from MeOH, EtOH or benzene (charcoal), then chromatographed on alumina from sodium-dried benzene (twice), using vacuum distn to remove benzene. Final purification was by vacuum sublimation. 

Russell et al. Anal Ghent 50 2961 1986.] The material was free from anthracene derivatives. Another purification step involved passage of pyrene in cyclohexane through a column of silica gel. It can be sublimed in a vacuum and zone refined. [Kano et al. J Phys Ghent 89 3748 1985.]... 

The receptor-operated Cl -channels of the central nervous system (CNS) are gated by the respective agonists GABA and glycine. Most Cl -channels can be inhibited by disulphonate stilbenes. Muscle Cl -channels can be inhibited by anthracene-9-carboxylate (A9C) and probably by IAA-94. The ICOR Cl -channel is fairly sensitive to NPPB. It should be noted, however, that none of these probes, except for the GABA- and glycine-receptor Cl -channels, is of sufficient affinity and selectivity to permit the channel identification by its use. This dilemma is one of the reasons why the purification of epithelial Cl -channels lags behind that of the CNS Cl -channels. 

Noncovalent functional strategies to modify the outer surface of CNTs in order to preserve the sp2 network of carbon nanotubes are attractive and represent an effective alternative for sidewall functionalization. Some molecules, including small gas molecules [195], anthracene derivatives [196-198] and polymer molecules [118, 199], have been found liable to absorb to or wrap around CNTs. Nanotubes can be transferred to the aqueous phase through noncovalent functionalization of surface-active molecules such as SDS or benzylalkonium chloride for purification [200-202]. With the surfactant Triton X-100 [203], the surfaces of the CNTs were changed from hydrophobic to hydrophilic, thus allowing the hydrophilic surface of the conjugate to interact with the hydrophilic surface of biliverdin reductase to create a water-soluble complex of the immobilized enzyme [203]. 

---