Organic/water interfacial synthesis of tetralone

초록

Biphasic autoxidation of tetralin has been carried out using surface-active transition metal complexes. This reaction is a key intermediary step in the commercial production of α-naphthol. Compared to conventional liquid-phase synthesis, biphasic synthesis in which a surface-active complexing agent or ligand is used to draw the catalyst to the organic-water interface where it effects the desired reaction offers the following advantages : the avoidance of the use of a toxic or environmentally- troublesome solvent, easy of catalyst recovery and substrate recycle, and the attainment of high reactivity, selectivity and reproducibility under mild reaction conditions. The biphasic reaction differs in some significant ways from the corresponding reactions in a solvent or in undiluted tetralin.