81-16-3

Grey white to light pink powder

2-Hydroxynaphthalene-1-sulfonic acid is heated with a mixture of ammonia and ammonium sulfite in an autoclave at 150 ℃ and 1 MPa for 30 h. The reaction mixture is added to a slurry of lime, and excess ammonia is driven off. Inorganic calcium salts are filtered off at 80℃, and the filtrate is acidified with hydrochloric acid at 40℃ to precipitate Tobias acid in 95 % yield. Care must be taken throughout the process to avoid desulfonation and formation of 2- naphthylamine.

Crystallise the acid under nitrogen from boiling water and dry it in a steam oven [Bryson Trans Faraday Soc 47 522, 527 1951]. [Beilstein 14 III 2240, 14 IV 2792.]