Naphthalene is an aromatic hydrocarbon found in coal tar or crude oil. Naphthalene is used in the manufacture of plastics, resins, fuels, and dyes. It is also used as a fumigant insecticide that works by turning directly from a solid into a toxic vapor. This process is called sublimation.
Naphthalene is used mainly as a precursor to other chemicals. The single largest use of naphthalene is the industrial production of phthalic anhydride, although more phthalic anhydride is made from o-xylene. Many azo dyes are produced from naphthalene, and so is the insecticide 1-naphthyl-N-methylcarbamate (carbaryl).
Hint: There are five steps involved in the formation of naphthalene by Haworth synthesis. These are Friedel craft acylation, Clemmenson's reaction, heating the compound, Clemmenson reaction, and dehydrogenation. Two aromatic rings joined are known as naphthalene.
