Nitrobenzene → Aniline

Participants

Reaction Steps

It is not necessary to use pure oxygen as the source of oxygen. Air is a suitable source of oxygen and is desirable for reasons of economy. Alternatively, the oxidizing agent can be ozone (under conditions which prevent direct interaction of ozone and olefin) or a compound which can generate oxygen under reaction conditions (e.g., peroxides and hydroperoxides), or it can be a compound which contains an active-oxygen functional group (e.g., nitro derivatives). Aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds which have a boiling point below about 250° C. are particularly useful as an oxidizing agent in place of molecular oxygen in the invention process. Thus, in another embodiment this invention provides a process for the production of ethylbenzene and aniline which comprises contacting vinylcyclohexene with a present invention palladium on non-acidic zeolite catalyst in the presence of nitrobenzene at a temperature between about 200° C. and 500° C. and a pressure between about 1 and 200 psi to yield ethylbenzene and aniline product.

Provenance & Evidence