Method of monohydroxylating phenolic compounds

摘要

The subject of the present invention is a method of monohydroxylating phenolic compounds which makes it possible to increase the amount of para isomers. The invention relates to a method for monohydroxylating a phenolic compound having a hydrogen atom in the position para to the hydroxyl group, with a view to obtaining a dihydroxylated aromatic compound, by reaction of the starting phenolic compound with hydrogen peroxide, in the presence of an effective amount of a strong acid and of a ketone compound, the said process being characterised in that the reaction is carried out in the presence of a effective amount of a polar aprotic organic solvent having a basicity such that it has a "donor number" of less than 25.