Topic summary
Phenanthroline
Extracted from the Wikipedia article 1,10-Phenanthroline.
Synthesis
Phenanthroline can be prepared by two successive Skraup reactions of glycerol with o-phenylenediamine, catalyzed by sulfuric acid, and an oxidizing agent, traditionally aqueousarsenic acid or nitrobenzene. Dehydration of glycerol gives acrolein which condenses with the amine followed by a cyclization.