Method of producing alkali metal benzenesulfinates

摘要

A method of producing alkali metal benzenesulfinates having the general formula of <IMAGE> wherein M represents Na or K, which comprises: reacting nitrophenylphenyl sulfones having the general formula of <IMAGE> wherein n is an integer of 1 or 2, with alkali metal thiophenolates having the general formula of <IMAGE> in solvents. The reaction produces also nitrophenylphenyl sulfides as by-products in equimolar amounts to the alkali metal benzenesulfinates, and the oxidation of the sulfides provides the starting nitrophenylphenyl sulfones. A method of producing the nitrophenylphenyl sulfones is also provided wherein the sulfides are oxidized with hydrogen peroxide in the presence both of water-soluble tungstates or molybdates and of phase transfer catalysts in a two-phase heterogeneous solvent.