Process for the oxidation of benzene to phenol
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorsKuo-Hua Chao, Raymond T. Moy
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Abstract
The instant invention relates to a process for the oxidation of benzene to phenol which comprises contacting benzene and molecular oxygen with a dihydrodihydroxynaphthoquinone, optionally in the presence of an oxidation catalyst, and subsequently separating from the reaction product phenol and the corresponding naphthoquinone. The by-product napththoquinone is suitably recycled to the benzene oxidation step by hydrogenating the naphthoquinone to the dihydrodihydroxynapththoquinone.
Claims12
A process for the oxidation of benzene to phenol which comprises contacting at a temperature ranging from about 0.degree. C. to about 100.degree. C. benzene and molecular oxygen with dihydrodihydroxynaphthalene substituted with at least one electron-withdrawing substituent group selected from -N(CH.sub.3).sub.3.sup.+, -NO.sub.2, -CN, -SO.sub.3 H, -SO.sub.3.sup.30 , -COOH, -COO.sup.+, -CHO, -X(halo) and -OCF.sub.3, and subsequently separating from the reaction product phenol and the corresponding naphthoquinone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.