Preparation of ortho-hydroxybenzyl alcohols
AssigneeRhone-Poulenc Industries
InventorJoel L. Ludec
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Abstract
A yield improved process for the preparation of orthohydroxybenzyl alcohols by esterifying a phenol with boric acid, next condensing the product of esterification with either formaldehyde or a formaldehyde-generating compound, thus effecting formulation of a boric acid ester of the desired ortho-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, and thence decomposing said ester to liberate the ortho-hydroxybenzyl alcohol therefrom, the improvement which comprises preparing the boric acid/phenol esters from at least 1.1 mols of the phenol per mol of boric acid.
Claims14
In a process for the preparation of an orthohydroxybenzyl alcohol by (a) reacting a phenol with boric acid to form boric acid esters of said phenol, (b) condensing said boric acid esters with formaldehyde or a formaldehyde-generating compound to form the corresponding ortho-hydroxybenzyl alcohol boric acid esters, and then (c) decomposing said orthohydroxybenzyl alcohol boric acid esters to liberate the corresponding ortho-hydroxybenzyl alcohol therefrom the improvement comprising employing the reactants in step (a) in a ratio of at least 1.1 mols of said phenol per mol of boric acid to form in step (a) boric acid esters of said phenol which comprise phenol orthoborates.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.