Hydrogen Peroxide from Ethylanthraquinone

A very interesting new method [was developed by I. G. Farben in Germany during the World War II. In this method 2-ethylanthrahydroquinone is oxidized by gaseous oxygen whereby 2-ethylanthraquinone and hydrogen peroxide are formed. Hydrogen peroxide is extracted from the resultant liquor with water... 

The compound was used as a catalyst for the hydrogenation of olefins. No rhodium was lost. This type of polymer shows inverse temperature solubility. When the temperature was raised, the polymeric catalyst separated from solution for easy recovery and reuse. This type of smart catalyst will separate from solution if the reaction is too exothermic. The catalytic activity ceases until the reaction cools down and the catalyst redissolves. Poly (A i sop ropy lacrylamide) also shows inverse temperature solubility in water. By varying the polymers and copolymers used, the temperature of phase separation could be varied (e.g., from 25 to 80°C).214 A terpolymer of 2-isopropenylan-thraquinone, A-isopropylacrylamide, and acrylamide has been used in the preparation of hydrogen peroxide instead of 2-ethylanthraquinone.215 The polymer separates from solution when the temperature exceeds 33 C to allow re-... 

Industrially, hydrogen peroxide is almost universally produced by the alternate hydrogenation and oxidation with air of an alkylanthraquinone [2], Although the process is efficient from a yield standpoint, it is quite complex and is carried out in two separate steps, using a stoichiometric amount of expensive high molecular weight quinones e.g. 2-ethylanthraquinone). 

The photoreduction of 2-ethylanthraquinone via hydrogen abstraction from organic solvents gives rise to the corresponding anthrahydro-quinone, which is subsequently oxidized by oxygen to afford hydrogen peroxide. ... 

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