An efficient catalytic oxidation of p-alkoxypenols to p-quinones using tetrabutylammonium bromide and oxone®

Abstract

A catalytic oxidation of p-alkoxyphenols was developed using tetrabutylammonium bromide (TBAB) and Oxone®. The reaction of p-alkoxyphenol (1) with a catalytic amount of TBAB in the presence of Oxone® as a cooxidant in acetonitrile-water (2 : 1) gave the corresponding p-quinone (2) in excellent yield without special treatment. © 2011 Pharmaceutical Society of Japan.