摘要 |
Carboxylate esters of aromatic diols, e.g., the monoacetate ester of hydroquinone, and carboxylate esters of monoalkyl ethers of aromatic diols, e.g, p-methoxyphenyl acetate, are produced by subjecting an aromatic ketone containing a hydroxy, alkoxy or acyloxy radical on the aromatic ring, e.g. 4-hydroxyacetophenone to a Baeyer-Villiger oxidation using peracetic acid as oxidant under conditions such that the reaction mass contains no more than about 0.1 wt.% of sulfuric acid based on the weight of the initially added pure peracetic acid. The carboxylic esters may be hydrolyzed to the aromatic diols, e.g., hydroquinone, or to the monoalkyl ethers of the aromatic diols, e.g. the monomethyl ether of hydroquinone. |