Dicyclopentadiene purification

The dicyclopentadiene used by the submitters was supplied by the Enjay Company. No preliminary purification is required. Technical (85%) dicyclopentadiene has been found by the checkers to give 54-56% yields of norbornylene without preliminary purification. 

Dicyclopentadiene. For visocity and surface tension experiments DCP from Exxon Chemical Co. is used without further purification. This is around 98% pure, with the remainder primarily acyclic dienes. The isomer composition is 98.5% endo and 1.5% exo. 

To a stirred mixture of 5-(trifluoromethyl)dithiatriazine la (300 mg, 1.59 mmol) in CC14 (20 mL) was added dropwise a solution of dicyclopentadiene (218 mg, 1.65 mmol) in CC14 (10 mL) at rt. Within 15 min a clear pale-yellow solution was obtained. Distillation of all volatile components in vacuo gave the crude compound 3. Purification by washing with CC14 at — 15 °C gave the pure anti-isomer 3 yield 373 mg (74%) mp 169 °C. 

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