WASTE-FREE SHORTCUTS TO ANILINE AND PHENOL

摘要

Aniline and phenol are two essential fine chemicals in the manufacture of agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, dyes and pigments, and other industrial chemicals. Their production often requires multi-step energy-consuming procedures or severe reaction conditions, generating large amounts of toxic wastes. Searches for more efficient and environmentally benign production alternatives are extensive, but current processes remain far from ideal. Now, Li-Zhu Wu, Chen-Ho Tung, and colleagues report a new strategy that enables one-step amination of benzene to aniline with ammonia and one-step hydroxylation of benzene to phenol with water in excellent yields and high selectivity (DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b05498).