Hydroxyacetophenones from phenylacetate

If we examine the formation of hydroxyacetophenones more closely, we can see (Fig. 4a) that on HY, at least part of ortho-hydroxyacetophenone could be formed directly from phenylacetate (i.e, intramolecularly) whereas the para-isomer is clearly a secondary product. On HZSM5 both compounds are secondary products (Fig. 4b). Moreover, one can see that the ortho-/para-hydroxyace-tophenone molar ratio changes with conversion especially over HZSM5 where it decreases from 6 to 1 as conversion decreases. Two explanations can be considered i) a consecutive transformation of para-hydroxyacetophenone which would not occur in the case of the ortho-isomer ii) a change in the ortho-/para-selectivity of the zeolite in the course of deactivation. The points at high conversion being obtained on the fresh catalyst, a preferential deactivation of the sites located outside of the particles will decrease the ortho-/para-hydroxyacetophenone molar ratio if one supposes that these sites which are easily accessible favour the formation of the ortho-... 

As reported in the literature, the acylation of aromatic hydrocarbons can be carried out by using zeolites as catalysts and carboxylic acids or acyl chlorides as acylating agents. Thus toluene can be acylated by carboxylic acids in the liquid phase in the presence of cation exchanged Y-zeolites (ref. 1). The acylation of phenol or phenol derivatives is also reported. The acylation of anisole by carboxylic acids and acyl chlorides was obtained in the presence of various zeolites in the liquid phase (ref. 2). The acylation of phenol by acetic acid was also carried out with silicalite (ref. 3) or HZSM5 (ref. 4). The para isomer has been generally favoured except in the latter case in which ortho-hydroxyacetophenone was obtained preferentially. One possible explanation for the high ortho-selectivity in the case of the acylation of phenol by acetic acid is that phenylacetate could be an intermediate from which ortho-hydroxyacetophenone would be formed intramolecularly. 

On HZSM5 both hydroxyacetophenones are formed by trans-acylation. Disproportionation (reaction e) probably does not exist because of steric contraints. Moreover since ortho-hydroxyacetophenone does not react with phenylacetate (probably for the same reason) to give ortho-acetoxyacetophenone, reaction g cannot take place. On the other hand, the formation of products resulting from the oligomerization of ketene (dehydroacetic acid, 6-methyl 4-acetoxy 2-pyrone, reaction h) is favoured presumably because of the confinement effect in the zeolite. These compounds are supposed to be to a large extent responsible for the deactivation of HZSM5. 

Figure 4. Testosterone concentration (ng/ml) in temporal gland secretion and relative abundance of four groups (I-IV) of compounds present in TGS over the course of musth in Tunga, an Asian bull elephant (a different elephant from the previous figures). Group I cyclohexanone, benzoic acid, phenylacetic acid, phenylpropanoic acid, octanoic acid, 3-octen-2-one and4-n-nonylphenol. Group II 5-nonanol, 2-hydroxyacetophenone, 1,3 dihydro-2H-indol-2-one, 2-nonanone, unidentified and 3-nonen-2-one. Group III phenol, decanoic acid and famesol. Group IV 4-hexenoic acid, tetradecanoic acid, pentadecanoic acid, hexadecanoic acid and dotriacontanol.

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