본 연구의 내용은 Dimethyl terephthalate의 생성 과정 중 필연적으로 생성되는 부산물인 Methyl 4-formylbenzoate를 이용해 one-pot reaction을 통한 p-Aminobenzoic acid를 얻는 방법이다. 이 방법은 Methyl 4-formylbenzoate에 chlorine gas와 methylene chloride를 이용해 acid chloride를 형성하고 ammonia gas를 통해 amide를 중간체로 가진다. 생성된 amide는 Hofmann degradation을 통해 p-Aminobenzoic acid로 전환된다. 이 방법은 폐기물인 Methyl 4-formylbenzoate를 재활용하여 기존의 p-Aminobenzoic acid를 수율 90%로 합성하였으며 이는 기존의 p-Aminobenzoic acid 생산과정을 대체할 수 있을 것으로 예상된다.
A facile one-pot synthesis of p-aminobenzoic acid from methyl 4-formylbenzoate which is a main by product in dimethyl terephthalate production process has been developed. This process involves the formation of amide intermediate obtained from the reaction of an aldehyde in methyl 4-formylbenzoate with chlorine in methylene chloride and the subsequent treatment of acid chloride with ammonia. The resulting amide was converted into amine using Hofmann degradation to afford a p-aminobenzoic acid. This facile one-pot process does not involve any expensive materials and should offer an attractive alternative to p-aminobenzoic acid production.
