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AssigneeDegussa AG
InventorsGerhard Kabisch, Horst Malitius, Siegfried Raupach, Rudolf Trube, Hans Wittmann
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Styrene or styrene substituted in the aromatic nucleus or on the vinyl group with a methyl group or styrene having the vinyl group substituted by hydroxymethyl is reacted with less than 2 moles of formic acid and less than 2 moles of hydrogen peroxide per mole of styrene or substituted styrene to hydroxylate the double bond. The formic acid is employed at a concentration between 20 and 100 weight percent and the hydrogen peroxide is employed at a concentration of less than 50 weight %. The concentration of the hydrogen peroxide in the aqueous phase of the reaction mixture is held below 15 weight percent during the entire reaction. The corresponding diols or triols are formed directly from the olefins employed within reasonable reaction times in high yields.
A process of forming a vicinal diol from styrene or styrene substituted in the aromatic nucleus or on the vinyl group with a methyl group or substituted on the vinyl group with a hydroxymethyl group comprising hydroxylating said styrene or substituted styrene to form the corresponding vicinal diol at a temperature between 40.degree. and 80.degree. C. with formic acid and aqueous hydrogen peroxide, the formic acid and hydrogen peroxide each being used in an amount of less than 2 moles per mole of double bond being hydroxylated, the formic acid being added in a concentration between 20 and 100 weight percent, the hydrogen peroxide being added in a concentration less than 50 weight percent and the concentration of the hydrogen peroxide in the aqueous phase of the reaction mixture during the entire time of the reaction being held below 15 weight percent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.