Masao Yokote

Studies on Benzonaphthenone Derivatives. III

Fusion of benzonaphthenone in methanol-potassium yielded a purple colored vat dye. The crude product was separated into methanol-soluble portion, chlorobenzene soluble portion, ο-dichlorobenzene-soluble portion, and its insoluble portions, in which the chlorobenzene-soluble portion (yield 5-10%) is considered to be composed mainly of peropyrenequinone type compound. Synthesis of peropyrene was made by the fusion of benzonaphthenone with zinc dust and oxidation of this gave peropyrenequinone soluble in chlorobenzene. The properties of above dyes were investigated. By fusion of a mixture of benzonaphthenone and benzanthrone in methanol-potassium a product considered to be benznaphthenonylbenzanthrone was obtained and further ethanol-potassium fusion of this compound gave the purple dye, which was considered to be a cyclized condensation product of benzonaphthenone and benzanthrone.