Production of naphthyl-substituted ketones from naphthaldehydes
AssigneeAlbemarle Corporation
InventorsVenkataraman Ramachandran, Stephen E. Belmont
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Abstract
A mixture formed from 2-naphthaldehyde (e.g., 6-methoxy-2-naphthaldehyde) and a dihydrocarbyl ketone having at least one hydrogen atom in the .alpha.-position (e.g., acetone) is heated in the presence of a heterogeneous basic catalyst (e.g., basic alumina) such that the unsaturated 2-naphthyl ketone is formed. The unsaturated ketone can be hydrogenated using, for example, a Pd/C catalyst to form the corresponding saturated ketone. The process enables efficient production of nabumetone and related pharmaceuticals by a clean reaction.
Claims17
A process for the preparation of an unsaturated 2-naphthyl ketone which comprises mixing a 2-naphthaldehyde with acetone and heating the mixture in the presence of a heterogeneous basic catalyst such that the unsaturated 2-naphthyl ketone is formed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.