Synthetic production of anthraquinone

Synthetic production of anthraquinone is based on Friedel-Crafts acylation of benzene with phthalic anhydride, and the Diels-Alder reaction of naphthoquinone with butadiene. 

A method has been developed by BASF io produce anthraquinone by dimerization of styrene followed by oxidation of the l-methyl-3-phenylindane. 

This route, like the Diels-Alder reaction of benzoquinone with butadiene, has found no large-scale application to date. 

The same applies to the American Cyanamid process, in which anthraquinone is produced in 90% yield from benzene by way of benzophenone by pressure car-bonylation at 40 bar with CuC /PdCb as catalyst, at 220 to 250 °C. 

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