Hi
Thought I'd posted this question last night; but since was suffering from serious sleep deprivation @ the time, who knows what happened. But if it appears twice, apologies in advance.
In TCBOE the author (briefly) makes reference to a Japanese patent for producing p2p from alpha-methyl styrene, bromine, & sulfuric acid. Now, if alpha-methyl styrene were, as the author states, 1-phenyl-1-propene, this would be just another in the 'allylbenzene' series (1-phenyl-1-propene being to p2p as is isosafrole to safrole); but I've never heard anyone make mention of the fact that the author is in error. Alpha methyl styrene is 2-phenyl-1-propene; and that little alteration apparantly makes all the difference in the world, because my local chem supply house was able to price it for me @ $35/kg, & when I asked whether, when sending one of my employees down to pick up such an order (if I decided to place it), the employee would need to provide identification etc. in the case of that particular chemical, I was told that it was not Listed or Suspicious, & that they would gladly sell it to me anonymously.
Now, am I missing some salient point, or does this sound really cheap & easy? I mean, sulfuric acid & bromine are not exactly the rarest chems in the world... but does anyone have more information on this process? I've searched for an English-language equiv. to the Japanese patent, but w/out success (even coughed up some dough for STN; at the use of which, however, I am admittedly no expert). Any help would be appreciated (or directions to somewhere where this entire subject has been formerly hashed out at length).
Thanks.
jen
"I harbor for good or bad,
I permit to speak at every hazard..."
-whitman