Process for the preparation of acyloxybenzenesulfonic acids and their salts

US5100588A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Hoechst GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Fritz-Feo Grabley · Königstein, DE
• Gerd Reinhardt · Kelkheim, DE
• Roland Steinl · Hattersheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 9, 1988
• Grant date: Mar 31, 1992
• Expiry date: Feb 9, 2008

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C07C309/00
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The process for the preparation of acyloxybenzenesulfonic acids of the general formula ##STR1## in which R denotes a (C.sub.1 -C.sub.17)-alkyl or (C.sub.2 -C.sub.17)-alkenyl radical, or alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or ammonium salts thereof, is carried out in the following stages: (a) sulfonation of phenol, (b) heat treatment of the phenolsulfonic acid formed as the intermediate product, (c) esterification of the phenolsulfonic acid and, if appropriate, (d) neutralization of the resulting (C.sub.2 -C.sub.18)-acyloxybenzenesulfonic acid. As a result of the incorporation of stage (b), the process affords products in which the proportion of the 1,4-isomer compared with the 1,2-isomer is markedly increased, as a result of which these products can be used, in particular, as perborate activators in detergents.