Oxidation reactions phenol synthesis from benzene

Notably, NH3 is indispensable for the catalytic phenol synthesis. In the absence of NH3, neither benzene combustion nor phenol formation occurred on the Re-CVD/HZSM-5 catalyst (Table 10.6). Other amine compounds such as pyridine and isopropylamine did not promote the catalytic reaction at aU, which indicates that the role of NH3 in the catalysis is not due to its basic function. Fe/ZSM-5 has been reported to be active and selective for phenol synthesis from benzene using N2O as an oxidant [90, 91], but N2O did not act as an active oxidant on the Re-CVD/ HZSM-5 catalyst Furthermore, no positive effects were observed by the addition of both N2O and H2O. Notably, the NH3-pretreated Re-CVD/HZSM-5 catalyst selectively converted benzene into phenol with O2 in the absence of NH3, as discussed below. 

It was reported independently by three research groups that MFI-type zeolites selectively catalyze the reaction of N20 with benzene to give phenol C6H6 + N20 —> C6H5OH + N2 [93-96]. Fe/ZSM-5 shows remarkable performance in benzene hydroxylation to phenol with N20 as oxidant, which is the first example of a successful gas phase direct phenol synthesis from benzene [97]. No other catalysts show similar high performances to the Fe/ZSM-5 catalyst. At present, iron is the sole element capable of catalyzing the benzene-to-phenol reaction [98]. Direct oxidation of benzene to phenol by N20 has been commercialized in the so-called AlphOx process in Solutia Inc., US A, where N20 is obtained as a by-product in adipic acid production with nitric acid [97, 99, 100] a selectivity >95% to phenol is achieved at >40% conversion at around 4000 C. But the process is cost-effective only if N20 can be obtained cheaply as a by-product in adipic acid production. 

Utilization of molecular 02 as a sole oxidant is ideal. Direct phenol synthesis from benzene with 02 has been studied extensively to date, but it shows low activity and selectivity with Cu0/A1203 [143] and Cu/ZSM-5 [144, 145], Several conditions of reactions were optimized with Cu/ZSM-5 catalysts, but the maximum yield was 4.9% with about 30% selectivity at 673 K [144, 145],... 

Novel Pathways and Reactants This is a very broad area. We will thus restrict discussion to few examples. The first regards the important reaction of phenol synthesis and the possibility to realize it in one step directly from benzene using molecular oxygen as the oxidant. Various aspects of direct phenol synthesis from benzene are discussed in Chapter 13. We highlight here only recent results that exemplify how starting from the previously cited activity of Re complexes in the epoxidation in homogeneous phase could lead to investigation of the behavior of Re complexes when inserted into the channels of zeolites (ZSM-5) and in gas-phase selective oxidations. This has opened a new unexpected direction. 

Butene oligomerization, phenol synthesis from benzene, butane partial oxidation, and other reactions carried out in membrane reactors... 

The aim of the project was to investigate different gas-phase reactions. In particular, alternative routes for the synthesis of propylene oxide [101,102] and the synthesis of phenol from benzene and N20 [103] should be found. As a first milestone a throughput of approximately 15-20 molProduct kgCat 1 h 1 was targeted. 

Of special interest for petrochemical and organic synthesis is the implementation of thermodynamically hindered reactions, among which incomplete benzene hydrogenation or incomplete cyclohexene and cyclohexadiene dehydrogenation should be mentioned. Cost-effective methods of cyclohexene production would stimulate the creation of new processes of phenol, cyclohexanol, cyclohexene oxide, pyrocatechol synthesis, cyclohexadiene application in synthetic rubber production, and a possibility for designing caprolactam synthesis from cyclohexene and cyclohexadiene via combined epoxidation. At present, the most... 

The one-step hydroxylation ofbenzene represents an attractive alternative pathway for the direct synthesis of phenol and many studies are performed using different processes among which the photocatalytic reaction [45,46]. One of the main problem is the low selectivity of the process due to the higher reactivity of phenol towards the oxidation than benzene with the formation of oxidation by-products. In order to avoid these secondary products and to obtain the separation of the phenol from the oxidant reaction environment the use of a membrane system coupled with the photocatalytic process seems a useful solution. 

Cumene is prepared on a large scale from benzene and propylene as an intermediate in the synthesis of acetone and phenol. This makes it an inexpensive and readily available starting material for the production of Galaxolide . Three further electrophilic addition reactions complete the synthesis. Firstly, isoamylene is added, to form pentamethylindane, to which propylene oxide is added. Finally, treatment with formaldehyde leads, via the hemiacetal, to the isochroman. 

Analogously, in the presence of silica-supported palladium catalysts, benzene is oxidized under ambient conditions to give phenol, benzoquinone, hydroquinone and catechol [37b]. Palladium chloride, used for the catalyst preparation, is believed to be converted into metallic palladium. The synthesis of phenol from benzene and molecular oxygen via direct activation of a C-H bond by the catalytic system Pd(OAc)2-phenanthroline in the presence of carbon monoxide has been described [38]. The proposed mechanism includes the electrophilic attack of benzene by an active palladium-containing species to to produce a a-phenyl complex of palladium(ll). Subsequent activation of dioxygen by the Pd-phen-CO complex to form a Pd-OPh complex and its reaction with acetic acid yields phenol. The oxidation of propenoidic phenols by molecular oxygen is catalyzed by [A,A"-bis(salicylidene)ethane-l,2-diaminato]cobalt(ll)[Co(salen)] [39]. 

Boron, Phosphorus, and Selenium Compounds. Oxone has been used to oxidize carbon-boron bonds during the work-up of hydroboration reactions to obtain high yields of the resultant alcohols (eq 73). Aqueous Oxone/acetone oxidizes electron-poor and electron-rich aromatic and aliphatic boronic acids and esters to the corresponding alcohols rapidly and efficiently (eq 74). A one-pot procedure for the synthesis of iweta-substituted phenols from benzenes has been developed, and a similar strategy has been devised for the synthesis of Boc-oxindoles from Boc-indoles. i3i... 

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