Spectrophotometric study of dehalogenation of benzyl halides with nickel in aprotic dipolar solvents in the presence of oxygen

Oxidative dissolution of nickel in the benzyl halogenide – dipolar aprotic solvent system in the presence of air oxygen proceeds with the formation of benzaldehyde, benzyl alcohol, 1,2-diphenylethane, and trace amounts of 4,4'-ditolyl. Spectrophotometry studies have revealed that the oxidation products are formed in the solution rather than at the nickel surface. It has been shown that the oxygen adsorbed at the nickel surface practically does not pass into the solution.