Oxygen → Acetophenone

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

In this example, a solution of 0.1158 g (1.01 mmol) of N-hydroxysuccinimide, 0.544 g (5.13 mmol) of ethylbenzene and 0.1158 g (0.46 mmol) of cobalt acetate tetrahydrate in 40 ml of acetic acid was heated to 30° C. in a Parr Hastelloy reactor with temperature and pressure transducer. After the temperature reached 30° C., 233 psi of air was slowly introduced to the reactor. The mixture was stirred under pressure for one hour at 30° C., then the pressure was released, and the mixture was cooled to room temperature. A slow temperature rise (due to heat generated by the exothermic oxidation) within roughly 30 minutes following O2 introduction, accompanied by a drop in reactor pressure (due to consumption of O2 in the liquid phase reaction) indicates rapid reaction following induction. These profiles are steep and level off within minutes after induction. The reaction product mixture was extracted by ethyl acetate, then washed by water and saturated NaCl, dried over Na2SO4 to give acetophenone 80% and starting material 20% analysis by GC-MS and HPLC.

Provenance & Evidence