Birch-type reduction of phenanthrene, anthracene, naphthalene, and several substituted naphthalenes efficiently occurs upon irradiation of 9 1 acetonitrile-water solutions in the presence of sodium borohydride and m-or p-dicyanobenzene. The reduction produds of phenanthrene and anthracene are the respective g, lO-dihydroarenes, whereas naphthalene, 2, 6-dimethylnaphthalene, acenaphthene, and 2-methoxynaphthalene are ...
