Hydroxylation of aromatics with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by vanadium(V) peroxocomplexes

Abstract Benzene and substituted benzenes XC 6 H 5 (X = CH 3 , F, Cl, Br, NO 2 ) are hydroxylated to the corresponding monophenols by H 2 O 2 in CH 3 CN in the presence of catalytic amounts of VO (O 2 ) (PIC) (H 2 O) 2 where PIC is the anion of picolinic acid. Fair yields of hydroxylated materials are obtained by adding the oxidant in portions, or continuously, and keeping the conversion of the substrate rather low ( 2 O/dichloroethane) system.