Hydrogen Peroxide → 2,3-Dimethoxy-5-methyl-1,4-benzoquinone

Participants

Reaction Steps

3,4,5-Trimethoxy toluene (18.2 g, MW 182.21, 0.1 mol), para-toluene sulphonic acid (1.7 g, MW 172.13, 0.01 mol) are dissolved in glacial acetic acid to give a total volume of 50 ml and the solution is connected to the pump 1. Hydrogen peroxide (0.2 mol, MW 34.02, 21.6 ml if H2O2 at 30% and 17.5 ml if H2O2 at 35%) diluted to 50 ml with glacial acetic acid is connected to the pump 1 (second tube). The nitric acid (90%, 0.05 mol, MW 63.02, d 1.49, 3.15 g, 3.5 g solution 90%, 2.35 ml solution 90%) dissolved in acetic acid (to 50 ml) is connected to the pump 2. The pump 1 is pumping approximately 3.8 ml/min for each of the two reagent solutions (total speed flow 7.6 ml/min, i.e. 38 ml reactor volume/5 min RT). Isoversinic tubes (ID 2 mm) was used on the peristaltic pump. The residence time of the reaction was about 5 min (38 ml volume reactor) and the reaction was performed at 75° C. pumping the solutions of the pumps 1. After 5 min the nitric acid solution was pumped at 3.8 ml/min into the second section of the reactor (11 ml, volume reactor) cooled by a cold water circuit.

Provenance & Evidence