One-pot reduction of 9,10-diaryl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene-9,10-diols to 9,10-diarylphenanthrenes was achieved with Zn/H+ in acetic acid. Accordingly, various novel phenanthrenes and polyphenanthrenes with efficient blue emission were easily synthesized.
Ssergejew, Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii, 1937, vol. 7, p. 1654,1659