Sulfuric Acid → 3-Chloro-2-fluorophenol

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

728 g of 3-chloro-2-fluoroaniline was added to a reactor having 6,860 g of 30.6% sulfuric acid placed therein, followed by stirring for 30 minutes at 80° C. Thereafter, the mixture was cooled to −10° C., and 952 g of a 37.0% sodium nitrite aqueous solution was added dropwise thereto over 90 minutes in a temperature range of −10 to −5° C., followed by stirring for 30 minutes in that temperature range. The resulting reaction mixture was added to another reactor having 4,100 g of 51.2% sulfuric acid, 1,500 g of copper sulfate and 3,000 mL of toluene placed therein over 6 hours in a temperature range of 80 to 85° C., followed by stirring for 30 minutes in that temperature range. The resulting reaction mixture was cooled to a temperature range of 70 to 75° C. and left at rest to separate into two layers, i.e., an organic layer and an aqueous layer, and the organic layer was collected. The aqueous layer was cooled to 20° C., and copper sulfate was filtered off, followed by extracting with 1,200 mL toluene twice. The organic layer obtained by extraction was washed with 700 mL of water and subjected to fractional distillation to obtain 300 g of 3-chloro-2-fluorophenol (b5). The compound had a boiling point of 60 to 62° C./1 mmHg.

Provenance & Evidence