7963. Pyrene

Nomenclature

CAS number: 129-00-0
Benzo[def]phenanthrene.
C16H10; mol wt 202.25.
C 95.02%, H 4.98%.

Description and references

Occurs in coal tar, q.v. Isoln: Kruber, Ber. 64, 84 (1931). Also obtained by the destructive hydrogenation of hard coal: I. G. Farben., DE 639240; DE 640580; DE 654201. Purification by chromatography: Winterstein et al., Z. Physiol. Chem. 230, 162 (1934). Synthesis from o,o′-ditolyl: Weitzenb"ock, Monatsh. Chem. 34, 193 (1913). From peri-trimethylenenaphthalene and malonyl chloride with AlCl3: Fleischer, Retze, Ber. 55, 3280 (1922). From α-tetralone: Braun, Rath, Ber. 61, 956 (1928). From 4-keto-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophenanthrene by a Reformatsky reaction: Cook, Hewett, J. Chem. Soc. 1934, 366. Review of toxicology and human exposure: Toxicological Profile for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PB95-264370, 1995) 487 pp.

Chemical structure

Properties

Monoclinic prismatic tablets from alcohol or by sublimation. d23 1.271. Pure pyrene is colorless, the usual contaminant which gives it a yellow color is tetracene. Solid and solns have slight blue fluorescence. mp 156°. bp 404°. Absorption spectrum: Clar, Ber. 69, 1677 (1936); Seshan, Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. A3, 148 (1936). Fluorescence maxima: Sannié, Poremski, Bull. Soc. Chim. [5] 3, 1139 (1936). Insol in water. Fairly sol in organic solvents.