Benzene derivatives phenol synthesis

This reaction sequence is much less prone to difficulties with isomerizations since the pyridine-like carbons of dipyrromethenes do not add protons. Yields are often low, however, since the intermediates do not survive the high temperatures. The more reactive, faster but less reliable system is certainly provided by the dipyrromethanes, in which the reactivity of the pyrrole units is comparable to activated benzene derivatives such as phenol or aniline. The situation is comparable with that found in peptide synthesis where the slow azide method gives cleaner products than the fast DCC-promoted condensations (see p. 234). 

The second problem prepares ethoxybenzene (21 phenetole) from benzene, and the retrosynthetic analysis is 21 19 => 42 benzene. Because 21 is an ether, the most likely precursor is phenol (19), which is prepared from aniline (23) via the diazonium salt. Aniline is derived from nitrobenzene (42), which is prepared directly from benzene. Therefore, the synthesis is that shown in the following illustration. 

Phenol is a petrochemical derived from benzene and propylene by the cumene route, and formaldehyde is obtained by the oxidation of methanol which in turn is derived from synthesis gas. Until the 1950s, phenol, as extracted from coal tar by distillation, was contaminated with cresols and xylenols. 

The utility of this phenol synthesis is apparent when you recall that arenamines are derived from nitroarenes by reduction, and nitroarenes are made from other arenes by electrophilic aromatic substitution (Chapters 15 and 16). Therefore, relrosynlhelically (Section 8-9), we can picture the hydroxy group in any position of a benzene ring that is subject to electrophilic nitration. 

Design a synthesis of each of the following phenols, starting with either benzene or any monosubstituted benzene derivative. 

A Methylamino)phenol. This derivative (15) is easily soluble ia ethyl acetate, ethanol, diethyl ether, and benzene. It is also soluble ia hot water, but only spatingly soluble ia cold water. Industrial synthesis is by heating 3-(A/-methylamino)benzenesulfonic acid with sodium hydroxide at 200—220°C (179) or by the reaction of resorciaol with methylamiae ia the presence of aqueous phosphoric acid at 200°C (180). 

A Methylamino)phenol. This derivative, also named 4-hydroxy-/V-methy1ani1ine (19), forms needles from benzene which are slightly soluble in ethanol andinsoluble in diethyl ether. Industrial synthesis involves decarboxylation of A/-(4-hydroxyphenyl)glycine [122-87-2] at elevated temperature in such solvents as chlorobenzene—cyclohexanone (184,185). It also can be prepared by the methylation of 4-aminophenol, or from methylamiae [74-89-5] by heating with 4-chlorophenol [106-48-9] and copper sulfate at 135°C in aqueous solution, or with hydroquinone [123-31 -9] 2l. 200—250°C in alcohoHc solution (186). 

By far the preponderance of the 3400 kt of current worldwide phenolic resin production is in the form of phenol-formaldehyde (PF) reaction products. Phenol and formaldehyde are currently two of the most available monomers on earth. About 6000 kt of phenol and 10,000 kt of formaldehyde (100% basis) were produced in 1998 [55,56]. The organic raw materials for synthesis of phenol and formaldehyde are cumene (derived from benzene and propylene) and methanol, respectively. These materials are, in turn, obtained from petroleum and natural gas at relatively low cost ([57], pp. 10-26 [58], pp. 1-30). Cost is one of the most important advantages of phenolics in most applications. It is critical to the acceptance of phenolics for wood panel manufacture. With the exception of urea-formaldehyde resins, PF resins are the lowest cost thermosetting resins available. In addition to its synthesis from low cost monomers, phenolic resin costs are often further reduced by extension with fillers such as clays, chalk, rags, wood flours, nutshell flours, grain flours, starches, lignins, tannins, and various other low eost materials. Often these fillers and extenders improve the performance of the phenolic for a particular use while reducing cost. 

There are nine chemicals in the top 50 that are manufactured from benzene. These are listed in Table 11.1. Two of these, ethylbenzene and styrene, have already been discussed in Chapter 9, Sections 5 and 6, since they are also derivatives of ethylene. Three others—cumene, acetone, and bisphenol A— were covered in Chapter 10, Sections 3-5, when propylene derivatives were studied. Although the three carbons of acetone do not formally come from benzene, its primary manufacturing method is from cumene, which is made by reaction of benzene and propylene. These compounds need not be discussed further at this point. That leaves phenol, cyclohexane, adipic acid, and nitrobenzene. Figure 11.1 summarizes the synthesis of important chemicals made from benzene. Caprolactam is the monomer for nylon 6 and is included because of it importance. 

---