Hydrogen Peroxide → 1-Naphthol

Participants

Reaction Steps

Using convenient anhydrous hydrogen fluoride-pyridine complex as the acidic reaction medium at atmospheric pressure and at ambient temperature, the reaction of naphthalene with a molar excess of hydrogen peroxide at 10° to 20° C. gave 25.3% α-naphthol with 0.4% β-naphthol, 9.5% dihydroxynaphthalenes, and 1.2% higher molecular weight polymeric materials were formed with 47% naphthalene recovered unchanged. The yield of α-naphthol is 47%, with an isomeric purity of 98.4%.

Provenance & Evidence