9, 10-Dimethylanthracene gave 9-nitromethyl-10-methylanthracene as a major product, when treated with fuming nitric acid in dichloromethane at low temperatures. In contrast, 9, 10-diethylanthracene yielded 9-nitro-10-hydroxy-9, 10-diethyl-9, 10-dihydroanthracene, which in refluxing alcohol was readily converted into 9, 10-dialkoxy-9, 10-diethyl-9, 10- dihydroanthracene. Possible reaction sequences for the side-chain nitration have been ...
[Tolbert, Laren M.; Khanna, Rajive K.; Popp, Ann E.; Gelbaum, Leslie; Bottomley, Lawrence A. Journal of the American Chemical Society, 1990 , vol. 112, # 6 p. 2373 - 2378]
