The Zinc(II)-Catalyzed Henkel Reaction of Dipotassium 1,8-Naphthalenedicarboxylate in a Dispersion Medium

Article abstract of DOI:10.1246/bcsj.62.786

The Henkel reaction of dipotassium 1,8-naphthalenedicarboxylate in naphthalene as a dispersion medium gave dipotassium 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylate (1) in a higher yield and with a better reproducibility than the reaction without a dispersion medium.Catalysts, particularly zinc catalysts, were examined in detail.The anion moiety of zinc catalysts affected the reaction, and the halide anion was effective for the selective formation of 1.The addition of potassium halide to the zinc catalysts also increased the yield of 1.The catalytic activity of the halide anion increased in the order: Cl^---.The activity of the zinc catalysts was also compared with that of cadmium catalysts.