PROCESS FOR PREPARING 2,6-DITERTIARYBUTYL-4-MERCAPTOPHENOL AND 4,4'-ISOPROPYLIDENEDITHIOBIS-(2,6-DI-TERTIARYBUTYLPHENOL)

Abstract: This invention relates to an improvement in a process for making 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol and 4,4-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) which comprises reduction of bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-­ hydroxyphenol)polysulfide with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalytic amount of cobalt-molybdenum catalyst.

Description: This invention relates to a novel, improved process of making 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol by a cobalt-molybdenum catalyzed reduction of bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide in the presence of hydrogen gas. This mercaptophenol is an intermediate in the synthesis of 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) which has been disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,576,883 as an effective pharmaceutical agent for the reduction of serum cholesterol. This invention further relates to a novel, improved process of making 4,4′isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) by further reacting the 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol thus formed with acetone in the presence of acid. U.S. Patent 3,479,407 teaches the preparation of a mixture of bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide, comprising principally the disulfide, by a process of sulfurization of 2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol (DTBP) with sulfur monochloride in the presence of an iodine catalyst. The polysulfide has been shown to be reduced to 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol by a process comprising a Zn/HCl reduction as disclosed in U.S. Patents 3,952,064 and 3,479,407 and in Japanese Patent Application 73-28425. Condensation of the resulting mercaptophenol in the presence of acetone under acidic conditions results in the formation of 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol), as described in U.S. Patent 3,576,883. This reaction sequence is presented below. The following terms are used herein as follows: "DTBP" refers to 2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol (I). "Polysulfide" and "Bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)polysulfide" both are used to refer to one or more species of bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)polysulfide (II) including the di-, tri-, tetra-, and other higher order sulfides, and including single species as well as mixtures thereof. Typically, the Polysulfide is a mixture of two or more species with the disulfide present in amounts greater than other species. "Mercaptophenol" refers to 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol (III). "Catalytic amount" refers to that amount of a Cobalt-Molybdenum preparation which is sufficient to catalyze the reduction of Polysulfide to Mercaptophenol in the presence of Hydrogen gas. This amount may vary under particular conditions of use whereby other experimental parameters are varied including concentration of Polysulfide, absolute amount of Polysulfide, hydrogen gas pressure, temperature, residence time on the trickle-bed reactor column, and surface area of the catalyst. "g" and "ml" refer to grams and millilitres, respectively. The novel improvement in the process of making the Mercaptophenol and 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) comprises a cobalt-molybdenum catalyzed hydrogenation of the Polysulfide and represents a significant improvement over the Zn/HCl reduction described for this reaction in U.S. Patent 3,479,407. The Zn/HCl reduction requires a lengthy and tedious batch reduction with subsequent crystallization in order to isolate the Mercaptophenol for the condensation step to form 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol). When the improved process is carried out utilizing a fixed-bed reactor, it provides a streamlined, continuous-flow method of making the Mercaptophenol. The reaction mixture effluent can be utilized directly in the condensation step to form 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6′-di-tertiarybutylphenol) without prior isolation of the Mercaptophenol. Thus, the present improved process allows Polysulfide, which is introduced into a trickle-bed reactor containing a fixed-bed, cobalt-molybdenum catalyst in the presence of hydrogen gas to be converted to the Mercaptophenol which is present in the reaction-mixture effluent. The effluent can then be reacted in a continuous or a batch-wise manner with acetone under acidic conditions to form 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) without prior isolation of the Mercaptophenol. The trickle-bed reactor in which the hydrogenation takes place can comprise a jacketed pipe configured as a vertical column in which sufficient catalyst, hydrogen pressure and temperature can be maintained to support the reaction. The reactor is charged with a catalytic amount of cobalt-molybdenum catalyst. The preferred cobalt-molybdenum catalyst comprises about 5% cobalt oxide and about 16% molybdenum oxide on an inert support material. Alumina is preferred as the support material. The amount of surface area provided by a particular catalyst preparation can be chosen so as to provide optimum hydrogenation results. The feed solution or liquid can enter at the top of the column by means of a pump. A particular gas such as hydrogen can be introduced into the reactor and regulated by means of a pressure regulator. The feed solution mixes with the gas and cascades through the catalyst bed with the feed solution maintaining contact with both the catalyst and the hydrogen gas throughout the reactor. The stream then exits into the liquid level control tank in which the liquid is allowed to collect in order to provide a liquid seal to maintain the gas pressure. The effluent collected in the liquid level control tank is allowed to exit such that the level of liquid in the tank is maintained. The Polysulfide can be prepared by sulfur monochloride sulfurization of DTBP preferably as described in U.S. Patent 3,479,407. The Polysulfide can be dissolved in any solvent in which it is soluble and which is non-reactive under the conditions set forth below. Toluene is preferred as the solvent. The trickle-bed reactor can be prepared as described above and the cobalt-molybdenum catalyst can be sulfided by treating with H₂S. Hydrogen gas can then be introduced at a minimum pressure of about 600 psig (42.3 Kg cm⁻²) to a maximum pressure comprising the upper limit maintainable by the system. A hydrogen pressure of about 600 psig (42.3 Kg cm⁻²) to about 2000 psig (141 Kg cm⁻²) is preferred with about 750 psig (52.9 Kg cm⁻²) being most preferred. The temperature can be maintained at about 80°C to about 120°C with about 100°C being preferred. The in- and the out-flow rates of the solvent can be adjusted so that the liquid level in the control tank is maintained and so that the residence time of the solvent on the column is about 3 minutes to about 20 minutes with about 9 minutes to about 12 minutes being preferred. The Polysulfide can be introduced onto the column and the resulting effluent from the trickle-bed reactor will contain the Mercaptophenol. This effluent can then be reacted further with acetone under acidic conditions to form 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-ditertiarybutylphenol). The reaction conditions, in particular the amount and surface area of the cobalt-molybdenum catalyst, the concentration and absolute amount of the Polysulfide used, and the residence time on the column as well as the column temperature and hydrogen pressure, can be adjusted to provide the highest yield of Mercaptophenol in the effluent. The optimum parameters can be easily determined by one skilled in the art by simple experimentation. The following example illustrates the cobalt-molybdenum catalyzed hydrogenation of Polysulfide to make the Mercaptophenol utilizing a fixed-bed catalyst containing about 5% by weight of CoO and about 16% by weight of MoO₃ on an inert support material. In addition, the Mercaptophenol thus formed is converted to 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) by treating the reaction mixture with acetone under acidic conditions. EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS A trickle-bed reactor (1-inch; 2.4cm; diameter) was loaded with 67 g (80 ml) of 1/4 inch (0.635 cm) ceramic packing, followed by 244 g (346 ml) of Co-Mo catalyst consisting of 5.0% by weight of CoO and 16.2% by weight of MoO₃ on approximately 1/8 inch x 1/16 inch (0.327 cm x 0.163 cm) elliptical ribbed alumina (American Cyanamid Trilobe HDS-20-1.6), followed by 43 g (50 ml) of 1/4 inch (0.635 cm) ceramic packing. The cobalt-molybdenum catalyst was sulfided by purging the reactor with nitrogen at room temperature, warming to 150°C, pressurizing to 100 psig (7.05 Kg cm⁻²) nitrogen, and treating with 30 g H₂S over an hour period. Toluene was used as the liquid seal. The column was maintained at 100°C and 750 psig (52.9 kg cm⁻²) hydrogen gas. A toluene solution containing Polysulfide produced by the sulfurization of DTBP, as described in U.S. Patent 3,479,407, was applied to the trickle-bed reactor with a feed flow rate of 464 ml/hour. This flow rate provided a residence time of the substrate on the catalyst of about 9 minutes. The Polysulfide was almost completely reduced to the corresponding Mercaptophenol as indicated by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) of the reactor effluent. The Mercaptophenol was further reacted to form 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) by reacting 500.7 g of effluent from the trickle-bed reactor (containing an estimated 680 millimoles of Mercaptophenol) with 65.6 g (1.26 moles) of acetone, followed by 7.7 g (0.21 moles) of HCl (gas). After reacting at 20°C for 3 hours, the reaction mixture was quenched with 100 ml of water. After stirring for 15 minutes, the layers were permitted to separate, and the bottom water layer was removed and discarded. The organic solvent was removed under reduced pressure and the residue was recrystallized three times from 90% ethanol/water yielding 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) with a melting point of 124.5°C to 128°C.

Claims: In a process for making 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol by reduction of a bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide the improvement which comprises reducing the bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalytic amount of a cobalt-molybdenum catalyst. The process of Claim 1 wherein the catalyst comprises about 5% by weight of cobalt oxide and about 16% by weight of molybdenum oxide on a solid inert support. The process of Claim 1 wherein the reduction is carried out at a temperature of about 80°C to about 120°C. The process of Claim 1 wherein the hydrogen gas is maintained at a pressure of about 600 psig (42.3 Kg cm⁻²) to about 2000 psig (141 Kg cm⁻²). The process of Claim 1 wherein the reduction is carried out in a continuous flow manner by passing a solution of bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide in an inert solvent through a fixed bed of the catalyst. The process of Claim 5 wherein the 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol is continuously withdrawn from the effluent of the fixed catalyst bed. In a process for making 4,4′-isopropylidenedithio-bis-(2,6-di-tertiarybutylphenol) by reduction of a bis (3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide and by further reacting the reduction product with acetone under acidic conditions, the improvement which comprises reducing the bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide with hydrogen gas in the presence of a catalytic amount of cobalt-molybdenum catalyst. The process of claim 7 wherein the catalyst comprises about 5% by weight of cobalt oxide and about 16% by weight of molybdenum oxide on a solid inert support. The process of Claim 7 wherein the reduction is carried out at a temperature of about 80°C to about 120°C. The process of Claim 7 wherein the hydrogen gas is maintained at a pressure of about 600 psig (42.3 Kg cm⁻²) to about 2000 psig (141 Kg cm⁻²). The process of Claim 7 wherein the reduction is carried out in a continuous flow manner by passing a solution of bis(3,5-di-tertiarybutyl-4-hydroxyphenol)polysulfide in an inert solvent through a fixed bed of the catalyst. The process of Claim 11 wherein the 2,6-di-tertiarybutyl-4-mercaptophenol is continuously withdrawn from the effluent of the fixed catalyst bed and then further reacted with acetone and acid. The process of Claim 11 wherein the resulting reaction mixture is reacted directly with acetone in the presence of acid.

Inventors: BARGERON, KIM G., LASKOVICS, F. MARCK
Applicants: MERRELL DOW PHARMACEUTICALS INC.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: C07C319
IPC codes: C07C319, C07C67, C07B61, C07C313, B01J23, C07C323