Preparation of Alkenylbenzenes

Alkenylbenzenes are prepared by the various methods described in Chapter 5 for the preparation of alkenes dehydrogenation, dehydration, and dehydrohalogenation. 

Dehydrogenation of alkylbenzenes is not a convenient laboratory method but is used industrially to convert ethylbenzene to styrene. 

---

Dehydrogenation of alkylbenzenes, although useful in the industrial preparation of styrene, is not a general procedure and is not well suited to the laboratory preparation of alkenylbenzenes. In such cases an alkylbenzene is subjected to benzylic bromi-nation (Section 11.12), and the resulting benzylic bromide is treated with base to effect dehydrohalogenation. 

Section 1115 The simplest alkenylbenzene is styrene (C6H5CH=CH2) An aryl group stabilizes a double bond to which it is attached Alkenylbenzenes are usu ally prepared by dehydration of benzylic alcohols or dehydrohalogena tion of benzylic halides... 

Problem 16.21 Styrene, the simplest alkenylbenzene, is prepared commercially for use in plastics manufacture by catalytic dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene. How might you prepare styrene from benzene using reactions you ve studied ... 

The photocatalytic oxidation of alkylbenzenes and alkenylbenzenes has been widely reported. The data concerning alkylbenzenes have shown that the reactivity of toluenes is low when compared to other monosubstituted benzenes (Somarani et al., 1995). The effect of adding a zeolite, which is an acid solid catalyst, by Ti02/UV on various 4-substituted toluenes was studied by Somarani et al. (1995). The compounds of interest were prepared at 0.03 M in solutions containing TiOz. The effect of a zeolite was also studied by adding HY-type zeolites with various Si/Al ratios. The solutions were irradiated with a 125-W mercury lamp emitting light at 330 nm. Samples were taken at 48 hours and analyzed by GC/mass spectroscopy (MS) to determine percent conversions of the toluenes to the desired products. 

---