Patent ID: 6040484
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A process for hydroxylating a phenolic compound with hydrogen peroxide through a hydroxylation reaction, comprising the step of carrying out said hydroxylation reaction in the presence of an effective quantity of a catalyst to catalyze said hydroxylation reaction comprising a triflate of a rare earth element, of scandium or of bismuth, wherein the phenolic compound corresponds to the general formula (I): ##STR6## wherein: R' represents a hydrogen atom, a saturated or unsaturated linear or branched acyclic or aliphatic hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 24 carbon atoms, a saturated or unsaturated monocyclic or polycyclic cycloaliphatic radical, or a saturated or unsaturated linear or branched aliphatic radical bearing a cyclic substituent, andR.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4, are identical or different, and represent:a hydrogen atom,a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms,a linear or branched alkenyl radical having 2 to 6 carbon atoms,a linear or branched alkoxy radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms,an acyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, ora radical having the formula:R.sub.5 --OH,R.sub.5 --COOR.sub.6,R.sub.5 --X, orR.sub.5 --CF.sub.3,wherein R.sub.5 represents a valency bond or a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated divalent hydrocarbon radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms; R.sub.6 represents a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched alkyl radical having 1 to 6 carbon atoms;x represents a halogen atom, optionally, two groups R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 placed on two vicinal carbon atoms, together and with the carbon atoms bearing them, form a benzene ring.