Nitric Acid → 1-Nitroanthraquinone

Participants

Reaction Steps

208 g of anthraquinone are introduced into 955 g of 99% nitric acid at 0° with stirring (mole ratio 15:1). The temperature of the reaction mixture rises to 55° in about 6 minutes. This temperature is maintained by cooling until the total reaction time is 10 minutes. 316 g of 99% nitric acid (γHNO3 = 0.791) are then distilled off very rapidly at this temperature under vacuum. 100 ml of water are then slowly added to the sump product (crystallisation acid 82%, γHNO3 = 0.532). The precipitated product is suction-filtered, washed with a little 75% nitric acid and then with water, dried and subjected to fractional vacuum distillation at 10 Torr and a head temperature of 281°. 172.1 g of 98.7% pure 1-nitroanthraquinone (67.1% of the theoretical amount) are obtained as distillate.

Provenance & Evidence