General Description
A colorless liquid. Insoluble in water and less dense than water. Contact may irritate skin, eyes and mucous membranes. May be toxic by ingestion, inhalation and skin absorption. When heated will polymerize and at decomposition emits acrid smoke and irritating fumes.
Reactivity Profile
2,5-NORBORNADIENE may react vigorously with strong oxidizing agents. May react exothermically with reducing agents to release hydrogen gas. In the presence of various catalysts (such as acids) or initiators, may undergo exothermic addition polymerization reactions. Violent explosions at low temperatures in ammonia synthesis gas units have been traced to the addition products of dienes and nitrogen dioxide [Bretherick, 5th Ed., 1995].
Air & Water Reactions
Highly flammable. Insoluble in water.
Health Hazard
Inhalation or contact with material may irritate or burn skin and eyes. Fire may produce irritating, corrosive and/or toxic gases. Vapors may cause dizziness or suffocation. Runoff from fire control or dilution water may cause pollution.
Chemical Properties
Clear colorless to slightly yellow liquid
Uses
Intermediate in prostaglandin synthesis.1
Preparation
2,5-Norbornadiene is of interest as a metal-binding ligand, whose complexes are useful for homogeneous catalysis. Norbornadiene can be formed by a Diels-Alder reaction between cyclopentadiene and acetylene.
Purification Methods
Purify the diene by distillation from activated alumina [Landis & Halpern J Am Chem Soc 109 1746 1987]. [Beilstein 5 IV 879.]
