Assignee:
The Dow Chemical Company - Midland MI
International Classification:
C07C 4538
Abstract:
In a two-phase liquid medium comprising an aqueous alkaline solution and an organic solvent, molecular oxygen and a noble metal-containing catalyst can be used to oxidize aryl-substituted alcohols of the formula AR(--CH. dbd. CH--). sub. n CH. sub. 2 OH wherein n is 0, 1 or 2, to the corresponding aldehydes. More specifically, the oxidation of an aromatic alcohol, such as p-methoxybenzyl alcohol, can be efficiently carried out in a multiphase system comprising a 5 percent palladium-on-charcoal catalyst, an organic solvent such as methylene chloride, in contact with an aqueous sodium hydroxide solution, in the presence of air or oxygen with good agitation followed by separation of the two phases, recovery of the aldehyde product from the organic solvent and recycle of the aqueous phase without neutralization.