Method for making a 2,6-dialkylphenol
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsAndrew J. Caruso, Julia L. Lee
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Abstract
A method is provided for converting a 2,4,6-trialkylphenol, such as mesitol, to a dialkylphenol, for example 2,6-dimethylphenol, by effecting the selective oxidation of the 2,4,6-trialkylphenol, followed by the deformylation of the resulting 3, 5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde.
Claims12
A method for making a 2,6-dialkylphenol, which comprises,
- (A) effecting the selective oxidation of the 4-alkyl radical on a 2,4,6-trialkylphenol in an atmosphere comprising air or elemental oxygen in the presence of a C.sub.1-6 alkanol as solvent and an effective amount of a copper salt as catalyst and an organic amine or amide as cocatalyst at a temperature of 25.degree. C. to 100.degree. C.,
- (B) treating the resulting 3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde reaction product of (A) to produce a mixture having less than 5 ppm of copper, and,
- (C) effecting the deformylation of the 3,5-dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde of (B) at a temperature of 190.degree. C. to 350.degree. C. in the presence of a Group VIllA metal catalyst to produce a 2,6-dialkylphenol.
A method for making a 3,5 dialkyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde comprising effecting the selective oxidation of the 4-alkyl radical on a 2,4,6-trialkylphenol in an atmosphere comprising air or elemental oxygen in the presence of an organic solvent and a copper salt as catalyst and an amine selected from the group consisting of neocuproine hydrate, imidazole, and derivatives thereof as cocatalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.