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US 4,048,238 AGranted
Promoted liquid phase oxidation of alkyl aromatic compounds
AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorsLloyd E. Gardner, Darryl R. Fahey, John E. Mahan
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AssigneePhillips Petroleum Company
InventorsLloyd E. Gardner, Darryl R. Fahey, John E. Mahan
Estimating the term…
A process is provided for oxygenating alkyl-substituted aromatic compounds. In the process alkyl-substituted aromatic compounds are contacted with molecular oxygen in the presence of a suitable monocarboxylic acid, an at least partially soluble Te or Se compound, an inorganic bromine compound, and a compound selected from inorganic nitrates and compounds convertible to inorganic nitrates at conditions of the process. In an embodiment of the invention the process is carried out in two distinct steps with contact of the alkyl-substituted aromatic compounds and oxygen in the presence of the essential components produce an ester comprising both an aromatic alcohol and the carboxylic acid with subsequent hydrolyzing of this ester to produce an aromatic alcohol with regeneration of the carboxylic acid.
A process for oxygenating an alkyl-substituted aromatic compound of the formula ##STR2## wherein each R is selected from branched or unbranched alkyl groups having from one to about 6 carbon atoms, at least one R being an alkyl group free of quaternary carbon atoms, comprising a liquid phase and elevated temperature contacting of said compound with molecular O.sub.2 in the presence of an alkanoic acid having from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms per molecule, an at least partially soluble Te or Se compound, an inorganic bromine compound, and a compound selected from inorganic nitrates and compounds convertible to inorganic nitrates at conditions of the present process said compounds selected from the group consisting of alkali metal nitrates, nitric acids, and oxides of nitrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.