Nitration of Phenol over a ZSM-5 Zeolite

In this paper, liquid phase nitration of phenol over a solid acid catalyst, ZSM-5 zeolite, was investigated by nitric acid (60%) under various solvent and temperature conditions. The performance of the nitration in ortho and para positions of phenol is suggested to derive from the amount of catalyst and the solvent effects. The loading level of the substrate inside or outside the pores of the zeolite makes the relatively high selectivity to the ortho or para product. However, the experimental results are accounted for by the important role of solvent and the amount of ZSM-5 zeolite in ortho/para selectivity.