Pyrolytic Chemistry of Benzyl Benzoate

Flash vacuum pyrolysis of benzyl benzoate ( 3 ) at temperatures in the range 750–900 °C and at 10² torr gave diphcnylmethane ( 5 ) as the major product with toluene ( 6 ) and eight other trace products, namely bipbenyl ( 7 ), dibenzyl ( 8 ), 2-, 3-, 4-phenyltoluenes ( 9,10,11 , respectively), fluorcne ( 12 ), benzyl alcohol ( 4 ) and benzaldehyde ( 13 ). The mechanism of formation of these products is proposed to involve benzyl and phenyl radicals.