Mesitylene oxidative dimerization

However, the outcome of the oxidation of alkyl-substituted arenes is not easy to predict owing to the competition between nuclear dimerization and dimerization through an Qf-carbon. For instance, a major product from oxidation of mesitylene in CH2CI2 is bimesityl [Eq. (46)], and from durene in CH2CI2-CF3SO3H, the heptamethyldiphenyl-methane [Eq. (47)] [104,105] no diphenylmethane is formed from mesitylene nor biphenyl from durene. 

---