Nitric Acid → 2,3-Dinitrotoluene

Participants

Reaction Steps

68.6 g (0.5 mol) of 4-nitrotoluene were dissolved in 80 ml of methylene chloride and 38.6 g (0.6 mol) of 98% by weight nitric acid, followed by the addition with stirring over a period of 1 hour at reflux temperature of 40 g of 100% by weight sulphuric acid. After stirring under reflux for another 2 hours, the methylene chloride phase was separated off without cooling and washed three times while still hot with 3 × 200 ml of water. After the washing water had been carefully separated off, the methylene chloride was distilled off, leaving 90.2 g of dinitrotoluene containing 99% of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (98% of the theoretical yield).

Provenance & Evidence