| abstract |
N-phenylbenzoquinone-imine is prepared by oxidizing N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)aniline in a liquid, at least partially organic reaction medium, in the presence of a basic compound and, advantageously, a catalytically effective amount of at least one manganese, copper, cobalt and/or nickel compound; this imine can be reacted with an aliphatic or cycloaliphatic amine to produce an N-phenyl-N'-cycloalkyl-para-phenylene-diamine and an N-phenyl-N'-cycloalkyl-2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-diimine, such 1,4-diimine itself being easily reduced to the corresponding p-phenylenediamine. |