Under normal conditions, the substance is a colorless liquid.

It is prepared by treatment of naphthalene with bromine:[1] The compound exhibits many reactions typical of aryl bromides.

Bromide can be displaced by cyanide to give the nitrile.

It forms a Grignard reagent[2] and organolithium compound.

1-Lithionaphthalene can be further lithiated to give 1,8-dilithionaphthalene, a precursor to peri-naphthalene compounds.