Acetic Acid → 6-Methylnaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid

Participants

Reaction Conditions

Reaction Steps

A Hastelloy C autoclave equipped with heater, stirrer, gas introduction tube, temperature sensor, pressure gauge and pressurized reflux condenser was charged with 100 g of 2-acetyl-6-methylnaphthalene, 380 g of acetic acid, 20 g of water and 15 g of manganese(II) acetate. Compressed air was passed, with stirring, through the solution at 140° C. and a pressure of 25 bar, with a gas escape rate of 3 liters per minute. The reaction was observed by continuously measuring the oxygen content in the exhaust gas. When this oxygen content returned to the initial level of 21% after a reaction time of 105 minutes, the air feed was shut off, the reaction mixture was cooled, with stirring, to room temperature, filtered, and the filter cake washed with 300 g of a 95 wt.-% solution of acetic acid. 70.3 g of 6-methyl-2-naphthoic acid (69.3% of the theory) was obtained, in a purity of 99.5%.

Provenance & Evidence