Acenaphthene
Encyclopedia
Acenaphthene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
(PAH) consisting of naphthalene
with an ethylene
bridge connecting positions 1 and 8. An alternative name, 1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene, emphasizes that it is a hydrogenated form of acenaphthylene
. It is a constituent of coal tar
.
Acenaphthene was prepared the first time from coal tar by Marcellin Berthelot
and after that with Bardy he synthesized it from α-ethyl naphthalene.
It is used in preparation of dyes, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
It does not appear to be carcinogenic.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons , also known as poly-aromatic hydrocarbons or polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, are potent atmospheric pollutants that consist of fused aromatic rings and do not contain heteroatoms or carry substituents. Naphthalene is the simplest example of a PAH...
(PAH) consisting of naphthalene
Naphthalene
Naphthalene is an organic compound with formula . It is a white crystalline solid with a characteristic odor that is detectable at concentrations as low as 0.08 ppm by mass. As an aromatic hydrocarbon, naphthalene's structure consists of a fused pair of benzene rings...
with an ethylene
Ethylene
Ethylene is a gaseous organic compound with the formula . It is the simplest alkene . Because it contains a carbon-carbon double bond, ethylene is classified as an unsaturated hydrocarbon. Ethylene is widely used in industry and is also a plant hormone...
bridge connecting positions 1 and 8. An alternative name, 1,2-dihydroacenaphthylene, emphasizes that it is a hydrogenated form of acenaphthylene
Acenaphthylene
Acenaphthylene is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon consisting of naphthalene with an ethylene bridge connecting positions 1 and 8. It is a constituent of coal tar. Reduction of the ethylene group gives the related compound acenaphthene. Unlike most polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, it has no...
. It is a constituent of coal tar
Coal tar
Coal tar is a brown or black liquid of extremely high viscosity, which smells of naphthalene and aromatic hydrocarbons. Coal tar is among the by-products when coal iscarbonized to make coke or gasified to make coal gas...
.
Acenaphthene was prepared the first time from coal tar by Marcellin Berthelot
Marcellin Berthelot
Marcelin Pierre Eugène Berthelot was a French chemist and politician noted for the Thomsen-Berthelot principle of thermochemistry. He synthesized many organic compounds from inorganic substances and disproved the theory of vitalism. He is considered as one of the greatest chemists of all time.He...
and after that with Bardy he synthesized it from α-ethyl naphthalene.
It is used in preparation of dyes, pesticides and pharmaceuticals.
It does not appear to be carcinogenic.