Study of Solid–Liquid Phase Transfer Catalysed Reaction to Produce P-Nitroanisole Using 18-Crown-6 as Catalyst

Abstract

Anisoles and substituted anisoles are the main precursors in the process industries which prepare important pharmaceuticals and these can be produced from various reactants in liquid–liquid or solid–liquid phase transfer catalytic reaction mechanisms. The solid–liquid phase transfer catalysed reaction between p-chloronitrobenzene and potassium methoxide (CH3OK) using 18-crown-6 as a phase transfer catalyst for the production p-nitroanisole was investigated. Potassium methoxide was present as the solid phase and the PCNB which was dissolved in Benzene taken as the liquid phase and the catalyst was also in the liquid phase. Experiments were conducted to observe the effect of various process parameters such as degree of agitation, temperature, catalyst concentration, and different solvents on the conversion of PCNB. A kinetic model has been developed for the above-mentioned reaction to predict the reaction rate. From the results it has been observed that the reaction was found to follow the first order at a low catalyst concentration and initial reaction period. Apparent activation energy was also determined from the Arrhenius plot.