{{Short description|Process for the production of hydrogen peroxide}}
The '''anthraquinone process''', also called the '''Riedl–Pfleiderer process''', is a process for the production of hydrogen peroxide, which was developed by IG Farben in the 1940s.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1002/anie.200503779 |title=Hydrogen Peroxide Synthesis: An Outlook beyond the Anthraquinone Process |date=2006 |last1=Campos-Martin |first1=Jose M. |last2=Blanco-Brieva |first2=Gema |last3=Fierro |first3=Jose L. G. |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |volume=45 |issue=42 |pages=6962–6984 |pmid=17039551 }}</ref> The industrial production of hydrogen peroxide is based on the reduction of oxygen, as in the direct synthesis from the elements. Instead of hydrogen itself, however, a 2-alkyl-anthrahydroquinone, which is generated before from the corresponding 2-alkyl-anthraquinone by catalytic hydrogenation with palladium is used. Oxygen and the organic phase react under formation of the anthraquinone and hydrogen peroxide. Among other alkyl groups (R) ethyl- and ''tert''-butyl- are used, e.g., 2-ethylanthraquinone.<ref> {{ cite encyclopedia |author1=Goor, G. |author2=Glenneberg, J. |author3=Jacobi, S. | title = Hydrogen Peroxide | encyclopedia = Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry | year = 2007 | publisher = Wiley-VCH | location = Weinheim | doi = 10.1002/14356007.a13_443.pub2 |isbn=978-3527306732 }}</ref><ref>Römpp CD 2006, Georg Thieme Verlag 2006</ref>
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The hydrogen peroxide is then extracted with water and in a second step separated by fractional distillation from the water. The hydrogen peroxide accumulates as sump product. The anthraquinone acts as a catalyst, the overall reaction equation is therefore:
:{{chem2 | H2 + O2 -> H2O2 }}
If ozone is used instead of oxygen, dihydrogen trioxide can be produced by this method.<ref>{{cite journal | first = Božo |last=Plesničar | title = Progress in the Chemistry of Dihydrogen Trioxide (HOOOH) | journal = Acta Chimica Slovenica| year = 2005 | volume = 52 | pages = 1–12 | url = http://acta-arhiv.chem-soc.si/52/52-1-1.pdf }}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * [https://nzic.org.nz/app/uploads/2017/10/1E.pdf The manufacture of hydrogen peroxide] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203001312/https://nzic.org.nz/app/uploads/2017/10/1E.pdf |date=2019-02-03 }}
Category:Chemical processes Category:Catalysis Category:Hydrogen peroxide {{Reaction-stub}}