Abstract:
Alkylmercaptophenols are produced by reacting a phenol having a free 2- or 4-position with a dialkyl disulphide in presence of sulphonic acid as a catalyst, the mol. ratio catalyst: dialkyl disulphide being not more than 0.25:1. The sulphonic acid may be obtained by addition of sulphuric acid to the phenol starting material, or methane-, ethane-, benzene- or toluene-sulphonic acids or sulphonated styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer may be used. The disulphides preferably contain C1-5 alkyl groups. In examples, the method of the invention is applied to the production of 2- and 4-methyl- and ethylmercaptophenols; the 4-methylmercapto derivatives of 3-methoxy, methyl, -ethyl- and -isopropylphenols, 3,5-dimethyl- and -diisopropylphenols, 2 (or 3)-methyl-, 5 (or 6)-isopropyl phenols, 2-phenylphenol and 1-naphthol; the 2-methyl-mercapto-derivatives of 4-methyl- and 4-chlorophenols; 4-ethylmercapto-3-methylphenol and 4-n- or i-butyl or -amyl-mercaptophenols. Other phenols suitable as starting materials are also mentioned.