Catalytic oxidative process for the manufacture of anthraquinone from

Abstract

A process for the manufacture of anthraquinone, in which o-benzyl-toluene is oxidized with air or an oxygen-containing gas in an acetic acid solution in the presence of cobalt, manganese and bromine salts as catalysts, to which solution sufficient acetic anhydride is added to bind the reaction water, thereby keeping the acid concentration constant. The crude o-benzoyl-benzoic acid is then esterified with methanol, the methyl ester distilled from the reaction mixture and heated with concentrated sulfuric acid to yield anthraquinone in good yield and of a high degree of purity.