Hydrogen Peroxide → 1-Naphthol

Participants

Reaction Steps

A process for the regioselective hydroxylation of naphthalene with hydrogen peroxide giving either α- or β-naphthol in high isomeric purity between about 92 and 98+% depending on the acid system employed to carry out the reaction which comprises reacting naphthalene with a molar excess of hydrogen peroxide in an acid system having an Ho acidity function of -11 or less to produce α-naphthol with an isomeric purity between about 92 and 98+% or in a superacidic system having an Ho acidity function in excess of -11 to produce β-naphthol with an isomeric purity between about 92 and 98+%.

Provenance & Evidence