Methylphenylcarbinol from acetophenone

Sales demand for acetophenone is largely satisfied through distikative by-product recovery from residues produced in the Hock process for phenol (qv) manufacture. Acetophenone is produced in the Hock process by decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide. A more selective synthesis of acetophenone, by cleavage of cumene hydroperoxide over a cupric catalyst, has been patented (341). Acetophenone can also be produced by oxidizing the methylphenylcarbinol intermediate which is formed in styrene (qv) production processes using ethylbenzene oxidation, such as the ARCO and Halcon process and older technologies (342,343). 

Benzaldehyde (BAL), benzyl alcohol (BZA), acetophenone (AP), methylphenylcarbinol (MPC), dimethyl phenylcarbinol (DMPC), and phenol (PhOH), as well as the RH content in cumene and ethylbenzene oxidation processes were examined by GLC [9-14,17], The overall rate of the process was determined from the rate of aceumulation of all oxidation products (toluene, ethylbenzene), or consumption of starting hydrocarbon (cumene). A correlation between RH consumption and product (P) accumulation was established A[RH] = S [P]. 

Nonradical reaction products apart from hydroperoxide most likely represent acetophenon (see above) and methylphenylcarbinol. 

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