Process for the preparation of 1-aminoanthraquinones

A process for selectively producing a 1-aminoanthraquinone which comprises:

• (a) forming an alkali metal hydroxide solution of a 1-aminoanthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid having the formula:
• ##STR3## wherein X is hydroxy, alkoxy of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halo, amino or --SO.sub.3 H;
• Y is hydroxy, alkoxy of from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, halo, amino or --SO.sub.3 H;
• and m and n independently represent a value of from 0 to 2;
• (b) contacting the resulting alkali metal hydroxide solution from (a) with between about 0.75 mole and about 3 moles of an alkali metal hydrosulfite, per mole of 1-aminoanthraquinone-2-carboxylic acid to effect decarboxylation at an elevated temperature;
• and
• (c) recovering the corresponding product of the process having the formula:
• ##STR4## wherein the substituents X and Y and subscripts m and n are the same as defined above.