Method for producing aromatic alcohols, especially phenol

US6720462B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Degussa AG · DE

Inventors

• Adolf Kuhnle
• Mark Duda · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Uwe Tanger · Bochum, DE
• Roger Sheldon · Rijswijk, NL
• Sasidharan Manickam · Viralimalai, IN
• Isabella Wilhelmina Christina Everdina Arends · Pijnacker, NL

Key dates

• Filing date: Sep 26, 2002
• Grant date: Apr 13, 2004
• Expiry date: Sep 26, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P20/52
• WIPO field: Organic fine chemistry
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for preparing phenol derivatives by catalytic oxidation of an aromatic hydrocarbon to the hydroperoxide and subsequent cleavage of the hydroperoxide to give the phenol derivative and a ketone, wherein a compound of the formula I whereR1, R2=H, aliphatic or aromatic alkoxy radical, carboxyl radical, alkoxycarbonyl radical or hydrocarbon radical, in each case having from 1 to 20 carbon atoms, SO3H, NH2, OH, F, Cl, Br, I and/or NO2, where R1 and R2 are identical or different radicals or R1 and R2 may be joined to one another via a covalent bond, andX, Z=C, S, CH2 Y=O, OHk=0, 1, 2l=0, 1, 2m=1-3;is used as oxidation catalyst in the presence of a free-radical initiator, where the molar ratio of the catalyst to the aromatic hydrocarbon is less than 10 mol %.