Naphthalene, from butylbenzene over

Naphthalene see also specific compounds from butylbenzene over platinum-silica catalyst, 23 55... 

The dehydrocyclization of alkylaromatics was first described more than four decades ago. In 1936 Moldavskii and Kamusher reported the formation of naphthalene from u-butylbenzene on chromia at 475°C (7, 2). In 1945 Herington and Rideal reported the formation of indene from w-propyl-benzene over chromia-alumina (3). Platinum-containing catalysts were first used for these reactions in 1956 by Kazanskii and co-workers 4-6). 

Methylindan and smaller amounts of tetralin and naphthalene are formed from all three butylbenzene isomers over the acidic chromia-alumina catalyst. These reactions proceed by a cationic mechanism. 

---