Chemistry Reference
In-Depth Information
AROMATIC ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
P
OLYAROMATIC
C
OMPOUNDS
Some aromatic compounds contain multiple benzene rings attached to each
other.
naphthalene
anthracene
phenanthrene
All three of these industrially important chemicals can be obtained by the
coking
(heating in the absence of air) of coal. Naphthalene is also recovered
during petroleum refining. These compounds can be converted in part or
completely to aliphatic cyclic compounds by reaction with hydrogen. Like
benzene, the hydrogens on these aromatic ring systems can be substituted
by other groups.
Naphthalene has been used as a moth repellant and an insecticide, but
these uses are decreasing due to the increasing use of
para
-dichlorobenzene
instead. Derivatives of naphthalene are used in dyes and drugs. An example
of the latter is the pain reliever naproxen (sold in drugstores as “Aleve”).
Some anthracene derivatives are also used as dyes.
