E.i. Dupont De Nemours and Company

Enio Kumpinsky

David Richard Corbin

Antonio Vidal

Thomas M Ford

1,4-Bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene is made in a homogeneous or heterogeneous system by a reaction of diphenyl ether with 1,4-benzenedicarbonyl chloride at 220.degree.-258.degree. C. in the presence of certain iron, gallium, and indium compounds in catalytic amounts. The mole ratio of diphenyl ether to 1,4-dicarbonyl chloride is 5:1 to 25:1 and the mole ratio of 1,4-benzenedicarbonyl chloride to the catalyst is 1000:1 to 10:1.

Process for the manufacture of 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene with

1,4-Bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene is made in a heterogeneous system by a reaction of diphenyl ether with 1,4-benzenedicarbonyl chloride at 190.degree.-250.degree. C. in the presence of a zeolite catalyst having a ring structure containing 12 oxygen atoms, which can be either an activated zeolite in hydrogen form or an iron-exchanged zeolite, which zeolite can be readily separated from the hot liquid phase in the reaction mixture. The mole ratio of diphenyl ether to 1,4-dicarbonyl chloride, when the catalyst is in hydrogen form, is about 50-80:1; when the catalyst is in iron-exhcanged form, it is about 10-50:1, and the weight ratio of 1,4-benzenedicarbonyl chloride to zeolite in hydrogen form is 3:1 to 1:2, while the ratio of 1,4-benzenedicarbonyl chloride to zeolite in iron-exchanged form is 10:1 to 1:32. The product readily crystallizes in a high state of purity from the cooled solution. 1,4-Bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene is a vaulable intermediate in the synthesis of polyetherketone resins.

Process for the manufacture of 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene with a

A process for manufacturing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)benzene, wehrein diphenyl ether is contacted for about 30-360 minutes at 130.degree.-200.degree. C. with 1,4-benzenedicarbonyl chloride in respective mole ratios of about 15-80:1 in the presence of a fluorocarbon resin carrying pendant sulfonic acid groups, the weight ratio of the resin to 1,4-benzenedicarbonyl chloride being 3:1-1:2; the hot solution is separated from the resin, and the crystalline product is recovered from the solution on cooling. The so obtained 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoyl)-benzene is a high purity material free of ortho-isomer and catalyst contamination and can be used without further purification as one of the starting materials in the preparation of polyetherketones, which are important engineering resins.

Growing community of inventors

Wilmington, DE, United States of America

Enio Kumpinsky