Hydroperoxides of alkylaromatic hydrocarbons are valuable products of organic synthesis, which are widely used as initiators of polymerization and liquid-phase oxidation of hydrocarbons, as well as an epoxidizing agent. In addition, hydroperoxides are intermediates in the production of phenol and its alkyl derivatives. In this paper, a method is proposed for the isolation of tertiary hydroperoxide of sec-butylbenzene from the products of its liquid-phase aerobic oxidation by extraction with aqueous solutions of various solvents (methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, dimethylformamide, acetone and acetonitrile). The influence of the nature of the solvent, its concentration and the initial concentration of hydroperoxide on this process has been studied. Based on the experimental data obtained, it was found that 75-80% solutions of methanol and ethanol were the most effective in the extraction process. A high distribution coefficient is observed for a 75% methanol solution and is 1.24. It has been shown that up to 60% of the hydroperoxide can be extracted by single extraction. Carrying out a five-stage extraction of products of liquid-phase oxidation of second-butylbenzene with a 75% ethanol solution makes it possible to obtain concentrated up to 95% sec-butylbenzene hydroperoxide. Its structure was confirmed by IR spectroscopy. In this case, the isolated unreacted hydrocarbon can be directed to re-oxidation while maintaining a high rate, conversion and selectivity of hydroperoxide formation. The resulting concentrated tertiary hydroperoxide of sec-butylbenzene was subjected to sulfuric acid decomposition in a methyl ethyl ketone medium. It has been established that the products of this reaction are phenol and methyl ethyl ketone. At room temperature and a catalyst content of 0.8% by weight phenol and methyl ethyl ketone with yields of 88 and 71%, respectively, were obtained from hydroperoxide loading.
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