Green synthesis of anthraquinone by one-pot method with Ni-modified Hβ Zeolite

As an important intermediate, anthraquinones (AQ) is used to produce many bulk consumable chemicals. However, traditional industrial preparation methods of AQ face a series of problems: complex production process, heavy pollution and high-cost raw materials. Therefore, a simple one-pot catalytic synthesis of AQ was proposed, but it is still challenging to obtain efficient catalyst for AQ synthesis with high yield and environmental friendliness. In this work, Ni modified Hβ zeolites were constructed by microwave assisted, which possesses excellent catalytic performance for one-pot synthesis from benzene and phthalic anhydride (PHA). After system optimization, the conversion of PHA and selectivity of the target product were 63.6% and 68.5%, respectively. These exciting results can be attributed to the synergistic effect of Lewis and Brønsted acid, suitable acid strength and the structural effect. At the same time, the new catalyst also exhibits high stability. This work will provide a new idea for the development of new catalysts to obtaining AQ by a simple and efficient method.