Electrolytic production of sulfonic acids from condensed ring aromatic hydrocarbons

Claim 1

PROCESS FOR PREPARING SULFONIC ACID IN AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL CONTAINING AN ANODE AND A CATHODE WHICH COMPRISES ELECTROLYZING AN AROMATIC HYDROCARBON WHICH CONTAINS AT LEAST TWO CONDENSED AROMATIC RINGS AND WHICH CONTAINS A CONDENSED AROMATIC RING HAVING AT LEAST TWO HYDROGEN ATOMS ATTACHED TO NUCLEAR CARBON ATOMS IN THE PRESENCE OF SULFUR TRIOXIDE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ELECTROLYTE HAVING A HALF-WAVE POTENTIAL MORE NEGATIVE THAN THAT OF THE HYDROCARBON AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A MUTUAL SOLVENT FOR THE HYDROCARBON AND THE ELECTROLYTE, THE SOLVENT HAVING A DECOMPOSITION POTENTIAL MORE NEGATIVE THAN THE HALF-WAVE POTENTIAL OF THE HYDROCARBON, SAID HYDROCARBON BEING PRESENT AT THE SURFACE OF SAID CATHODE DURING SAID ELECTROLYZING, SAID ELECTROLYZING BEING AT A POTENTIAL MORE NEGATIVE THAN THE HALF-WAVE POTENTIAL OF SAID AROMATIC HYDROCARBON AND LESS NEGATIVE THAN THE DECOMPOSITION POTENTIAL OF SAID SOLVENT, WHEREBY A SULFONIC ACID ANION IS PRODUCED, AND REACTING SAID SULFONIC ACID ANION IN SITU WITH HYDROGEN ION TO FORM A SULFONIC ACID.