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Org. Synth. 1933, 13, 78
DOI: 10.15227/orgsyn.013.0078
1-NITRO-2-NAPHTHOL
[2-Naphthol, 1-nitro-]
Submitted by W. W. Hartman, J. R. Byers, and J. B. Dickey.
Checked by Louis F. Fieser and J. T. Walker.
1. Procedure
In a 3-l. round-bottomed flask, fitted with a reflux condenser, are placed 100 g. (0.435 mole) of 1-nitro-2-acetylaminonaphthalene (p. 438) and a solution of 112 g. (2.8 moles) of sodium hydroxide in 2.7 l. of water (Note 1). The mixture is boiled until ammonia is no longer evolved (six to seven hours). The solution becomes deep red in color. It contains suspended crystals of sodium nitronaphthoxide; these are dissolved by the addition of 1 l. of hot water. The small amount of insoluble material is removed by filtration, washed with hot water until the washings are colorless, and then discarded although it contains a little nitronaphthylamine. The combined washings and filtrate are made acid by adding 500 cc. of glacial acetic acid. The nitronaphthol precipitates as small, bright yellow crystals which are filtered on a 10-cm. Büchner funnel, washed with water, and dried. The yield of material melting at 101–103° is 76–81 g. (92–98 per cent of the theoretical amount).
The product is purified by recrystallization from 500 cc. of methyl alcohol containing 5 cc. of concentrated hydrochloric acid. The first crop of crystals amounts to 60 g. and melts at 103–104°. The mother liquors are concentrated to 150 cc., and a second crop weighing 12–13 g. is collected. The total yield of recrystallized material is 72–73 g. (88–89 per cent of the theoretical amount).
2. Notes
1. This concentration of alkali was found to be very satisfactory. The hydrolysis takes place rather rapidly at first when stronger alkali is used, with the precipitation of the sodium salt which forms a thick paste and causes bumping. When more dilute alkali is used, much more time is required to complete the hydrolysis.
3. Discussion
1-Nitro-2-naphthol has been prepared by the nitration of β-naphthyl ethyl ether;1, 2 by the oxidation of 1-nitroso-2-naphthol;3 and by the treatment of β-naphthol with diacetylnitric acid.4 It has also been prepared by the treatment of β-naphthylamine with three moles of sodium nitrite in the presence of an excess of acid;5 by the decomposition of benzeneazo-β-naphthol with nitric acid;6 by heating the nitrate of pseudocumeneazo-β-naphthol under reduced pressure;6 by the treatment of 1-bromo-2-naphthol in acetic acid with nitric acid;7 and by the reaction of nitrogen dioxide with β-naphthol.7 It has been prepared from 1-nitro-1-bromo-2-ketodihydronaphthalene by treatment with caustic alkali,8 and by the fusion of α-nitronaphthalene with sodium hydroxide.9
The method on which this procedure is based has been described by Andreoni and Biedermann and by others.10

References and Notes
  1. Wittkampf, Ber. 17, 393 (1884).
  2. Gaess, J. prakt. Chem. (2) 43, 22 (1891).
  3. Stenhouse and Groves, Ann. 189, 151 (1877); Fierz-David and Ischer, Helv. Chim. Acta 21, 680 (1938).
  4. Pictet and Krijanowski, Arch. sci. phys. nat. Genève (4) 16, 191 (1903) (Chem. Zentr. 1903, II, 1109).
  5. Deninger, J. prakt. Chem. (2) 40, 300 (1889).
  6. Charrier and Ferreri, Gazz. chim. ital. 44 (I) 176 (1914).
  7. Armstrong and Rossiter, Ber. 24 (R), 720 (1891); J. Chem. Soc. Proc. 1891, 87, 89.
  8. Fries, Ann. 389, 317 (1912).
  9. Wohl, Ger. pat. 116,790 [Frdl. 6, 114 (1900–02)].
  10. Andreoni and Biedermann, Ber. 6, 342 (1873); Jacobson, ibid. 14, 806 (1881); Liebermann and Jacobson, Ann. 211, 46 (1882).

Appendix
Chemical Abstracts Nomenclature (Collective Index Number);
(Registry Number)

diacetylnitric acid

sodium nitronaphthoxide

nitrate of pseudocumeneazo-β-naphthol

hydrochloric acid (7647-01-0)

acetic acid (64-19-7)

ammonia (7664-41-7)

methyl alcohol (67-56-1)

sodium hydroxide (1310-73-2)

nitric acid (7697-37-2)

sodium nitrite (7632-00-0)

β-naphthol (135-19-3)

nitrogen dioxide (10102-44-0)

α-nitronaphthalene (86-57-7)

1-nitroso-2-naphthol (131-91-9)

1-Nitro-2-acetylaminonaphthalene (5419-82-9)

1-Nitro-2-naphthol,
2-Naphthol, 1-nitro- (550-60-7)

nitronaphthylamine

nitronaphthol (607-24-9)

β-naphthyl ethyl ether (93-18-5)

benzeneazo-β-naphthol

1-bromo-2-naphthol (573-97-7)

1-nitro-1-bromo-2-ketodihydronaphthalene

β-naphthylamine (91-59-8)