Process for producing alkenyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons

A process for producing an alkenyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon which comprises:

• alkenylating an alkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon containing a hydrogen atom at an α-position of a side chain thereof with a conjugated diene, in the presence of a solid base catalyst obtained by the steps of:
• (a) reacting an alkali metal compound selected from the group consisting of potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium hydrogencarbonate, potassium alkoxide, a potassium salt of an organic acid, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium hydrogencarbonate, and sodium alkoxide, with alumina by heating in a temperature range of 70° C. to 500° C., and
• (b) reacting the resulting mixture from step (a) with potassium metal or potassium hydride in an inert gas atmosphere by heating in a temperature range of 70° C. to 500° C.

A process for producing an alkenyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon which comprises:

• alkenylating an alkyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon containing a hydrogen atom at an α-position of a side chain thereof with a conjugated diene, in the presence of a solid base catalyst obtained by the steps of:
• (a) reacting a potassium compound selected from the group consisting of potassium hydroxide, potassium carbonate, potassium hydrogencarbonate, potassium alkoxide, and a potassium salt of an organic acid, with hydrotalcite by heating in a temperature range of 100° C. to 700° C., and
• (b) reacting the resulting mixture with sodium metal or sodium hydride in an inert gas atmosphere by heating in a temperature range of 100° C. to 700° C.