Nitric Acid → 2-Nitrotoluene

Participants

Reaction Steps

There are used 213 parts (about 400 ml) of this catalyst and the reaction is carried out at 140°-145° C. in vacuo under a pressure of 5 mm Hg by introducing separately 208 parts of gaseous toluene and 32.8 parts of gaseous 96% nitric acid (molar ratio of toluene to nitric acid = 2.26 : 0.5) into the reactor. Nitrotoluene is obtained with a yield rate of 68.3% of the theoretical yield, calculated on the starting quantity of HNO3, this yield consisting of 38.8% of o-nitrotoluene and 4.0% of m-nitrotoluene and 57.2% of p-nitrotoluene. The isomer ratio of p/o is 1.47 and represents an isomer distribution of 59.5% of p-nitrotoluene and 40.5% of o-nitrotoluene.

Provenance & Evidence