Naphthalene → Anthraquinone

Participants

Reaction Steps

In the process according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,938,913, the mixture which is present after the Diels-Alder reaction and which contains tetrahydroanthraquinone, solvent and naphthalene is first treated with aqueous alkali, an aqueous alkaline solution of salts of tetrahydroanthraquinone and a mixture of solvent and naphthalene being obtained. Crude solid anthraquinone is isolated from the solution containing the salts of tetrahydroanthraquinone by passing air through this solution and filtering off the anthraquinone which precipitates out. The mixture of naphthalene and the solvent is separated, by distillation, into the components, which can then be re-used in the anthraquinone synthesis.

Provenance & Evidence