Just had a thought, salicylic acid is cheap, you don't have to deal with over-inquisitive photography shops (the one here is SUPER inquisitive) and simple as shit to acquire in bulk (homebrand aspirin for starters)...
Formation of the amide would be a simple matter of hydrolysis of the acetylsalicylic acid, then collecting the ammonium salicylate product (ie. use ammonia instead of NaOH) & heat the piss out of it to get the amide (note the mother liquor from the removal of the ammonium salicylate will contain ammonium acetate and really should be kept)
A Hoffman (bleach) on that would give 2-hydroxy-aniline, hydrolysis of which (phosphoric acid is known to work on similar substrates) would give catechol.
Formation of the amide would be a simple matter of hydrolysis of the acetylsalicylic acid, then collecting the ammonium salicylate product (ie. use ammonia instead of NaOH) & heat the piss out of it to get the amide (note the mother liquor from the removal of the ammonium salicylate will contain ammonium acetate and really should be kept)
A Hoffman (bleach) on that would give 2-hydroxy-aniline, hydrolysis of which (phosphoric acid is known to work on similar substrates) would give catechol.