JP2012077067A - Method for producing aromatic hydroxide - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a process and a catalyst for partial oxidation, which enable to carry out a partial oxidation reaction of an aromatic compound with sufficiently high yield and selectivity, useful in the production of an aromatic hydroxide such as phenol, and to provide a method for producing phenol using the process and the catalyst.SOLUTION: The aromatic hydroxide is produced by irradiating an aromatic compound with radiation in the presence of a catalyst containing a photocatalyst or a noble metal or a noble metal oxide, water and an oxidizing agent to partially oxidize the aromatic compound.

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for producing an aromatic hydroxide, particularly phenol, by a partial oxidation reaction of an aromatic compound.

  Aromatic hydroxides such as phenol are very useful compounds as synthetic raw materials including resin raw materials. The cumene method has been established as an industrial method for producing phenol, but has problems such as the need for a multi-step process. Therefore, as a method for producing these aromatic hydroxides, conventionally, a method (direct oxidation method) in which an aromatic compound is partially oxidized and converted to an aromatic hydroxide has been studied.

  For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a method of generating oxygen anion radicals with dinitrogen monoxide or the like in the presence of an oxidation catalyst using an oxide such as vanadium, thereby oxidizing benzene to phenol. Patent Document 2 discloses a method for producing phenol from benzene by subjecting benzene and water to vapor phase contact reaction in the presence of a phosphoric acid catalyst. However, these methods require high temperatures, but are low in yield and selectivity and are not practical.

  In addition, a method using hydrogen peroxide as an oxidizing agent has attracted attention from the viewpoint of green chemistry because there is nothing to discharge other than water. For example, Patent Document 3 describes a technique for producing phenol by placing an aromatic compound and an oxidizing agent in a high-pressure vessel and reacting in 300 to 750 ° C., 20 to 50 MPa subcritical water or critical water.

JP 58-146522 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2-101034 JP 2004-175882 A

Surface Science Vol. 26, no. 10, pp. 578-584, 2005

  However, in the reaction in supercritical water or subcritical water described in Patent Document 3, the amount of benzene decomposed into carbon monoxide is large, and the reaction vessel material has a special corrosion resistance such as Hastelloy-C. Metal is required. In addition, these reactions are carried out at high temperatures or high temperatures and pressures, and there is a problem that the target partial oxidation product is further subjected to sequential oxidation. Both methods include partial oxidation of hydrocarbons. The performance for obtaining an oxygen compound has not been sufficient yet.

  Therefore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, the present invention is useful when producing an aromatic hydroxide such as phenol from an aromatic such as benzene, and a partial oxidation reaction with a sufficiently high yield and selectivity. It aims to provide a new process that makes it possible.

  As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the present inventors have suspended a photocatalyst, a catalyst for partial oxidation supporting noble metal particles or noble metal oxide particles, or a cobalt compound, or is soluble in a solvent. Phenol that partially oxidizes benzene in the presence of hydrogen peroxide, especially in the presence of hydrogen peroxide by irradiating a solution containing an aromatic compound, water, and an oxidizing agent in the presence of a noble metal compound or cobalt compound. In this production method, it was found that a sufficiently high yield and a sufficiently high selectivity were obtained, and the present invention was completed.

  As the photocatalyst, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, zirconium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, and a mixture thereof can be used.

  As the noble metal particles or noble metal oxide particles, simple metals such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium, indium, etc., oxides, and mixtures thereof can be used. Further, the noble metal particles or the noble metal oxide particles may be supported on a general carrier such as titanium oxide, zeolite, silica, alumina or the like.

  By the method of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently convert an aromatic compound such as benzene into an aromatic hydroxide such as phenol.

1 is a schematic view of a microreactor reaction device preferably used in the present invention. 1 is a schematic view of a microreactor reaction device preferably used in the present invention.

  The method of the present invention comprises a photocatalyst, a noble metal or noble metal oxide, or a catalyst containing a cobalt compound, water, and hydroxylation in which an aromatic compound is partially oxidized by irradiation in the presence of an oxidizing agent to produce an aromatic hydroxide. The present invention relates to a method for producing an aromatic hydroxide comprising a step. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. The following embodiment is merely an example of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can change the design as appropriate.

(photocatalyst)
The photocatalyst used in the present invention can be any photocatalyst that can be excited with energy higher than ultraviolet light. Preferably, titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, zirconium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, and mixtures thereof can be used.

  The photocatalyst used in the present invention may be a particle. The particle size of the photocatalyst is not particularly limited, but those having a particle size of 50 nm or less, specifically 1 μm or less, and more specifically, having a particle size of 50 nm or less are preferable because of high activity. The particle size of the photocatalyst can be measured with an electron microscope.

  The photocatalyst used in the present invention can be used at a concentration of 1% by weight or less, specifically 0.1% by weight or less, as the concentration in the reaction solution.

  The photocatalyst may carry platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, gold, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt or the like as a cocatalyst. The method for supporting the cocatalyst is not particularly limited, and the metal nanoparticles may be formed on the photocatalyst by impregnating the photocatalyst powder with a metal salt solution containing a metal species of the cocatalyst. Alternatively, the photocatalyst powder may be suspended in an aqueous solution containing a cocatalyst, stirred while applying ultraviolet light, and the cocatalyst may be supported on the photocatalyst by photodeposition.

(Noble metal or noble metal oxide catalyst)
As the noble metal or noble metal oxide partial oxidation catalyst used in the present invention, simple metals, oxides, and mixtures of noble metals of Group 8 to Group 11 of the periodic table can be used. Preferably, it is selected from the group consisting of simple metals such as gold, silver, platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, iridium and indium, oxides, and mixtures thereof. More preferred are simple metals, oxides, and mixtures of gold, silver, or platinum.

  The noble metal or noble metal oxide catalyst used in the present invention may be particles. The particle diameter of the noble metal or noble metal oxide particles is not particularly limited, but those having a particle size of 50 nm or less, specifically 30 nm or less, and more specifically, having a particle diameter of 10 nm or less are preferable because of high activity. The particle size of the noble metal particles or noble metal oxide particles can be measured by an electron microscope or carbon monoxide and hydrogen adsorption method.

  Furthermore, the noble metal particles and the noble metal oxide particle partial oxidation catalyst used in the present invention can be used as the noble metal particles and the noble metal oxide particles alone, but may be supported on a carrier. By supporting the carrier, the operability is improved and it can be used for a wider range of applications.

The carrier for the noble metal or noble metal oxide particles according to the present invention is not particularly limited, but it is preferable to use a substance having a large specific surface area. When the specific surface area is large, even if the amount of the noble metal nanoparticles supported is increased, the distance between the particles is large, so that it is possible to prevent the particles from being bonded to increase the particle diameter. The carrier preferably has a specific surface area of 50 m ² / g or more, and more preferably 100 m ² / g or more. The shape of the carrier is not particularly limited, but may vary depending on the use form described in detail below.

  As the carrier of the partial oxidation catalyst of the present invention, silica, alumina, silica alumina, silica titania, zeolite, titanium oxide, iron oxide, copper oxide, mesoporous silica, mesoporous titania, tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, carbon nitride, porous silica Inorganic compounds such as porous titania, zirconia, ceria, activated carbon, carbon black, carbon nanotube, and carbon nanofiber can be used. Furthermore, compounds obtained by adding other elements to the main component constituting these carriers can also be used.

  The amount of the noble metal particles or noble metal oxide particles supported on the carrier is not particularly limited. For example, the amount of gold particles supported on titanium oxide is 0.01 to 10.0% by weight based on titanium oxide. It is preferable that it is 0.1 to 2.0 weight%. Further, the amount of platinum supported on the zeolite is preferably 0.01 to 10.0% by weight, more preferably 0.1 to 2.0% by weight based on the zeolite.

  In the present invention, the noble metal or noble metal oxide-containing catalyst is, as the noble metal or noble metal oxide, 1% by weight or less, specifically 0.1% by weight or less, more specifically 0.01% by weight in the reaction solution. It can be used at a concentration of not more than% by weight.

  The method for producing the noble metal particle catalyst is not particularly limited, but can be produced by an ordinary reduction method or the like (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1). For example, there are a method in which a reducing agent is added to a noble metal salt aqueous solution for reduction, a method in which a weak reducing agent such as alcohol is added to the aqueous noble metal aqueous solution and reduction is performed while refluxing. At this time, a dispersant such as polyvinylpyrrolidone may be added to the noble metal aqueous solution. Further, the produced noble metal particles can be supported on a carrier and used as a noble metal particle-supported catalyst. Furthermore, after impregnating noble metal ions on the support or adhering as a hydroxide, it can be converted into noble metal nanoparticles by a reduction treatment to form a noble metal nanoparticle catalyst.

  The noble metal oxide particle catalyst used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be produced by an ordinary method. For example, after impregnating a noble metal ion on a support, it may be oxidized by heat treatment in air to form noble metal oxide particles on the support. Alternatively, the noble metal particles may be formed on the support, and then the noble metal oxide particles may be formed on the support by heat treatment in air.

(Cobalt catalyst)
As the cobalt compound used in the present invention, any compound containing divalent and trivalent cobalt can be used. Preferably, the cobalt compound contains cobalt oxide (II, III) or cobalt oxide (II, III). Can be used.

Cobalt oxide (II, III) used in the present invention is not particularly limited, but a commercially available product may be purchased or may be produced from a water-soluble cobalt compound such as cobalt nitrate. The cobalt oxide (II, III) used in the present invention preferably has a specific surface area of 50 m ² / g or more.

  The cobalt oxide catalyst used in the present invention can be used at a concentration of 1% by weight or less, preferably 0.1% by weight or less, as the concentration in the reaction solution.

(Uniform catalyst)
In another embodiment, the present invention may be a heterogeneous reaction using a solid catalyst, or a homogeneous reaction using a cobalt compound or a noble metal compound soluble in a solvent. The homogeneous catalyst of the present invention may be a compound that is soluble in water or an organic solvent. As the homogeneous catalyst, a cobalt compound, a palladium compound, a ruthenium compound, a rhodium compound, and a mixture thereof can be used. Specifically, metal salts such as cobalt acetate, cobalt nitrate, and palladium nitrate, and metal complexes such as tetraammine palladium nitrate and tetraammine platinum (II) can be used.

  Here, the concentration of the catalyst in the reaction solution is 1% by weight or less, preferably 0.1% by weight or less as a metal or a noble metal based on the weight of the reaction solution.

(Oxidant)
In the present invention, oxygen necessary for partial oxidation of the aromatic compound is supplied from the oxidizing agent. As the oxidizing agent, molecular oxygen, hydrogen peroxide, and nitrous oxide can be used. Among these, hydrogen peroxide and molecular oxygen that do not generate harmful by-products after decomposition are preferable. Moreover, it is preferable that these oxidizing agents are content more than an equimolar equivalent with the aromatic compound in a reaction solution. On the other hand, the addition amount of the oxidizing agent is preferably up to about 10 molar equivalents of the aromatic compound from the economical viewpoint.

(Reaction solvent)
In the present invention, the reaction solvent contains water. Water may contribute to the reaction as an oxidant. When a water-soluble compound such as hydrogen peroxide and water is used as the oxidizing agent, a compatible solvent may be further added because the oxidizing agent does not dissolve in an aromatic compound such as benzene. The type of the compatible solvent is not particularly limited, but acetic acid, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, dimethyl sulfoxide, sulfolane and the like can be used.

(Aromatic compounds)
The aromatic compound used in the present invention includes a benzene-based aromatic compound having at least one benzene ring in the molecule and having an unsubstituted site capable of introducing a hydroxyl group into the benzene ring. Here, the benzene aromatic compound is obtained by connecting an aromatic compound having a single benzene ring (hereinafter referred to as a monocyclic aromatic compound) and two or more benzene rings via a polyvalent group. An aromatic compound (hereinafter referred to as a polyvalent aromatic compound), an aromatic compound having two or more benzene rings in a condensed state (hereinafter referred to as a condensed cyclic aromatic compound) and two or more benzene rings are directly And a linked aromatic compound (hereinafter referred to as a ring-aggregated aromatic compound). Examples of the monocyclic aromatic compound include benzene, monosubstituted benzene, disubstituted benzene, and polysubstituted benzene. The substituent is not particularly limited, and may be substituted with a substituent containing various functional groups. Various linear and branched saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon groups such as alkyl groups, alkenyl groups and alkynyl groups, cyclic saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon groups such as cycloalkyl groups, hydroxy groups, carbonyl groups, It may be a substituent having an oxygen-containing functional group such as an oxy group, a carboxyl group or an ester group, or a substituent having a nitrogen-containing functional group such as a cyano group or an imide group. Moreover, the substitution which has a heterocyclic functional group may be sufficient. These substituents include methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl, carboxyl, nitro, amino, cyano, acetyl, alkoxy, hydroxyl, acetoxy, halogen, thioalkoxy, etc. Can be mentioned.

  Examples of such monocyclic aromatic compounds include benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, styrene, xylene, propylbenzene, butylbenzene, cumene, cymene, benzoic acid, nitrobenzene, aniline, benzonitrile, acetophenone, anisole, phenol, catechol, Resorcinol, hydroquinone, phenyl acetate, fluorobenzene, chlorobenzene, bromobenzene, iodobenzene, cresol, chlorotoluene, benzyl chloride, nitrotoluene, phthalic acid, phthalic anhydride, isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid, benzaldehyde, benzenesulfonic acid, and toluenesulfone An acid etc. can be mentioned. Among them, a benzene derivative having an electron donating group such as benzene, alkylbenzene, aromatic hydroxy compound, aniline, anisole, chlorobenzene can be preferably used, and benzene and alkylbenzene are more preferable.

  Note that the monocyclic aromatic compound includes a compound having a hydrocarbon ring or a heterocyclic ring containing a conjugated ring other than benzene condensed or connected to a benzene ring. Examples of such monocyclic aromatic compounds include indene, benzothiophene, benzofuran, benzopyran, and quinosane.

  A polyvalent aromatic compound is a compound in which units containing a benzene ring or a benzene ring are linked via a divalent or higher polyvalent group such as an oxy group, an alkylene group, or an imino group. The polyvalent aromatic compound also includes a polymer compound linked in a linear or branched manner with a unit containing a benzene ring as a monomer unit. The polyvalent aromatic compound may have a substituent, and the substituent can have the same various substituents as in the monocyclic aromatic compound. Examples of such polyvalent aromatic compounds include diphenyl ether, dibenzyl ether, dibenzyl ketone, and dibenzyl.

  Examples of the polycyclic aromatic compound include a condensed ring aromatic compound and a ring assembly aromatic compound. Examples of the condensed ring aromatic compound include naphthalene, anthracene, triphenyline, and the like, or compounds having one or more substituents in these benzene rings. The substituent can have various substituents similar to those in the monocyclic aromatic compound. Examples of such fused ring aromatic compounds include naphthalene, naphthol, dihydroxynaphthalene, anthracene, triphenyline, benzophenanthrene, and the like.

  The ring-aggregated aromatic compound is a compound in which at least two benzene rings in the molecule are connected through a bond without having a shared atom. For example, a ring-assembled aromatic compound in which benzene rings such as biphenyl and terphenyl are linearly connected, a ring-assembled aromatic compound that is branched and connected, and one or more substituents in these benzene rings A compound can be mentioned. The substituent can have various substituents similar to those in the monocyclic aromatic compound. Examples of such condensed ring aromatic compounds include biphenyl, terephenyl, and stilbene.

  The aromatic compound of the present invention is sufficient if it has at least one benzene ring or non-benzene aromatic ring having an unsubstituted site capable of introducing a hydroxyl group, and is not classified into the above category or two or more. Also included are compounds that are simultaneously classified into these categories.

  Benzene, phenol, toluene and naphthalene can be used as typical aromatic compounds in the present invention. In addition, these aromatic compounds may have a substituent and do not need to have a substituent.

(Other ingredients)
In addition, in the method of this invention, another component can be included in the range which does not interfere with the objective of this invention. For example, it can also be included in a range not involving the generation or increase of by-products such as inorganic acids and inorganic alkalis. Moreover, in order to improve the dispersibility of the catalyst particles in the reaction solution, a dispersant may be added.

(Aromatic hydroxy compound)
The aromatic hydroxy compound obtained by the method of the present invention is a compound in which at least one hydroxyl group is bonded directly to carbon forming the benzene ring of the aromatic compound. According to the method of the present invention, it is a compound in which at least one of the carbon-hydrogen bonds in the carbon forming the benzene ring of the aromatic compound is converted to a carbon-hydroxy bond. Accordingly, not only one hydroxyl group bonded to a carbon atom of the aromatic ring but also an aromatic hydroxy compound having two or more in the molecule is included. For example, phenol, catechol, resorcinol, hydroquinone, resorcin, etc. are produced from benzene, naphthol, dihydroxynaphthalene, etc. are produced from naphthalene, and mono and polyhydroxytoluene are produced from toluene.

(Hydrogenation process by irradiation)
Next, the process of the present invention will be described. In the present invention, by irradiating a reaction solution containing an aromatic compound, water, an oxidizing agent, and a partial oxidation catalyst containing a photocatalyst, noble metal particles or noble metal oxide particles, or cobalt compound particles, the aromatic compound is irradiated. Hydroxylation can be performed.

  In the present invention, “radiation” refers to a particle beam or electromagnetic wave having high ionizing energy. Specifically, gamma rays and electron beams are preferred because of their high permeability and high reactivity with compounds.

  When gamma rays are used for radiation, since the transmission power is very high, a reaction solution containing an aromatic compound or the like can be sealed and reacted in a glass bottle or a metal container.

  On the other hand, when an electron beam is used for radiation, since the distance that can be transmitted is inversely proportional to the density of the substance, if the wall of the container is too thick, the electron beam cannot be transmitted and the reaction does not proceed. Therefore, when a reaction solution containing an aromatic compound or the like is sealed in a glass bottle or a metal container and reacted, it is necessary to irradiate with an acceleration voltage of 2 MeV or more that can sufficiently penetrate the wall of the container. The irradiation dose is preferably 30 kGy or more.

(Hydrogenation process by batch reaction using containers)
In one embodiment of the present invention, a reaction solution containing an aromatic compound, water, an oxidant, and a photocatalyst, a noble metal or noble metal oxide, or a partial oxidation catalyst containing cobalt compound particles is sealed in a container and irradiated with radiation. Thus, hydroxylation of the aromatic compound can be performed. Photocatalysts, noble metal or noble metal oxide particles, or cobalt compound particles alone may be added to the reaction solution. Further, a catalyst in which noble metal particles or noble metal oxide particles are fixed on a support may be suspended in a reaction solution. At this time, it is preferable to use a carrier having a particle size of 100 μm or less.

(Hydrogenation process by distribution method)
In another embodiment of the present invention, a reaction solution containing an aromatic compound, water, and an oxidizing agent is passed through a column packed with a catalyst containing a photocatalyst, a noble metal or noble metal oxide, or a cobalt compound particle. By irradiation, the aromatic compound can be hydroxylated. At this time, it is preferable to use a photocatalyst having a diameter of 1 μm to 100 μm, a catalyst having a noble metal or noble metal oxide supported on a carrier having a diameter of 1 μm to 100 μm, or a cobalt compound particle having a diameter of 1 μm to 100 μm. The diameter of the column is not limited, but when gamma rays are used, the permeability is high, so that the throughput can be increased by increasing the diameter. Moreover, when using a high energy electron beam (200 keV or more), a metal capillary column or a metal column is preferable. The thickness of the metal tube needs to be a thickness that allows the electron beam to pass therethrough.

(Hydroxylation process using microreactor channel)
When using a low energy electron beam (less than 200 keV), since the transmission power of the electron beam is very weak, it is preferable to react in a microreactor channel having a depth of less than 100 μm.

  In one embodiment of the present invention, a photocatalyst or a catalyst containing a noble metal or noble metal oxide may be added to the reaction solution. When the catalyst is added to the reaction solution and allowed to flow through the microreactor channel, the catalyst is a photocatalyst, noble metal particle or noble metal oxide particle, or cobalt compound particle catalyst alone, or photocatalyst, noble metal particle or noble metal oxide particle. A catalyst in which the catalyst is immobilized on a carrier having a particle size of 20 μm or less can be used. The catalyst after the reaction can be separated from the reaction solution by filtration or centrifugation and reused.

  Further, a cobalt compound or a noble metal compound soluble in a solvent may be added to the reaction solution, and the electron beam may be irradiated while flowing through the microreactor channel. The catalyst after the reaction can be reused after removing products and by-products by distillation or extraction.

  Further, the photocatalyst or a catalyst in which a noble metal or noble metal oxide is immobilized on a carrier, or cobalt compound particles may be immobilized on the wall surface of the electron beam transmission region of the microreactor channel, and the reaction solution may be circulated. The carrier in this case is preferably in the form of particles having a particle size of 10 μm or less, but is not particularly limited. The immobilization of the catalyst in the microreactor channel is not particularly limited, but can be immobilized using an inorganic binder. As the inorganic binder, ceramic sols such as alumina sol and silica sol are preferable. The ceramic sol and the catalyst can be mixed and applied to the surface of the flow path, and then heated at a temperature of 200 ° C. or higher for immobilization. As the heat treatment temperature, it is necessary to select a temperature at which the inorganic binder is fixed. Depending on the catalyst, the noble metal particles may be further reduced in a reducing atmosphere after being immobilized on the microreactor channel with an inorganic binder.

  An example of a microreactor reaction apparatus preferably used in the present invention is shown in FIG. In FIG. 1, the microreactor reaction apparatus includes pump units 1 a and 1 b, a microreactor channel unit 2, an electron beam irradiation unit 3, a Peltier temperature control unit 4, a channel cover 5, and a channel cover holder 6. A solvent, benzene, and hydrogen peroxide are introduced into the microreactor flow path section 2 from the pump sections 1a and 1b. At this time, the entrance of the microreactor channel may be Y-shaped, and the solvent, benzene, and hydrogen peroxide may be introduced from separate channels.

  The flow path cover 5 is preferably a metal thin film having a thickness of 10 μm or less so that a low energy electron beam can be transmitted. Titanium, beryllium, aluminum, stainless steel or the like can be used as the metal type, but is not particularly limited. If the radiation resistance is strong, a resin such as Kapton may be used. However, in the case of resin, it is necessary to regularly check the damage of the electron beam.

  The Peltier-type temperature control unit 4 is used to suppress an increase in the temperature of the microreactor flow path unit 2 due to electron beam irradiation or to control a specific reaction temperature. The electron beam irradiated from the electron beam irradiation unit 3 may be linear or may be diffused radially. In addition, by installing the Peltier temperature control unit 4 and the microreactor flow path unit 2 on the X and Y stages and moving the X and Y stages, the entire microreactor flow path unit 2 can be irradiated with an electron beam. Also good.

  The reason why the yield and selectivity are improved when such a process of the present invention is used is not clear, but the present inventors infer as follows.

  Taking the case where phenol is produced by the reaction of benzene and hydrogen peroxide as an example, it is generally considered that the process goes through the following steps.

(First step)
When irradiated with radiation, benzene and hydrogen peroxide are activated, and benzene radicals and hydroxyl radicals (OH radicals) are generated.

(Second step)
The produced benzene radical and OH radical react to produce phenol.

(Third step: side reaction)
Benzene radicals dimerize to produce biphenyl.

  On the other hand, the role of the photocatalyst, noble metal particle or noble metal oxide particle, or cobalt compound particle partial oxidation catalyst in the process of the present invention is not clear. It is thought that it contributes to the reaction of OH radicals.

(First step-2)
Hydrogen peroxide is activated on the photocatalyst, the noble metal catalyst, or the cobalt catalyst to generate a hydroxyl radical (OH radical).

(Second step-2)
Hydroxycyclohexadienyl radical is generated by the reaction of OH radical and benzene, and phenol is generated from this hydroxycyclohexadienyl radical.

  As a result, in this invention, the production | generation of biphenyl is suppressed and a phenol can be obtained with a high yield.

  EXAMPLES Hereinafter, although this invention is demonstrated more concretely based on an Example and a comparative example, this invention is not limited to a following example.

(Benzene hydroxylation test by batch reaction)
Example 1
(Preparation of gold particle supported catalyst)
10.0 g of titanium oxide (ST-01 manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was impregnated with an aqueous chloroauric acid solution so as to contain 0.5% by weight as gold based on the weight of titanium oxide. After drying, 10 g of the resulting mixture was placed in 1 L of a 10 wt% aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and stirred for 30 minutes or more. The pH of the suspension at this time was 9.5 or higher. Further, 20 ml of a 1% by weight aqueous sodium borohydride solution was added as a reducing agent. This suspension was filtered and washed, and dried at 110 ° C. to obtain a 0.5 wt% gold-supported titanium oxide catalyst. As a result of observing the gold particles on the titanium oxide support with an electron microscope, the particle size of the gold particles was 10 nm or less.

(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
Add 20 ml of benzene, 0.5 ml of benzene, 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide and 5 ml of pure water to 20 ml of acetic acid, and then add 20 mg of 0.5 wt% gold-supported titanium oxide catalyst to a 25 ml bottle container (Duran screw mouth bottle). Encapsulated. This was irradiated with an electron beam by a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service so that the irradiation dose became 90 kGy in total with an accelerated electron beam of 10 MeV.

Example 2
(Preparation of platinum particle supported catalyst)
10.0 g of USY-type zeolite (manufactured by Tosoh, HSZ-350HUA) was impregnated with an aqueous chloroplatinic acid solution so as to contain 1.0 wt% as platinum based on the weight of the zeolite. This was dried at 110 ° C. and further calcined in air at 450 ° C. to obtain a 1 wt% platinum-supported zeolite catalyst. As a result of observing the platinum particles on the zeolite with an electron microscope, the particle size of the platinum particles was 10 nm or less.

(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
To 20 ml of acetic acid, 0.5 ml of benzene, 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water and 5 ml of pure water were added, and 20 mg of 1 wt% platinum supported zeolite catalyst was further added and sealed in a 25 ml bottle container (Duran screw bottle). This was irradiated with an electron beam by a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service so that the irradiation dose became 90 kGy in total with an accelerated electron beam of 10 MeV.

Example 3
(Preparation of silver particle supported catalyst)
10.0 g of titanium oxide (ST-01 manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was impregnated with an aqueous silver nitrate solution so as to contain 1.0% by weight as silver based on the weight of titanium oxide. After drying this, it was put into a large amount of 10 wt% aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and stirred for 30 minutes or more. The pH of the suspension at this time was 9.5 or higher. Further, 20 ml of a 1% by weight sodium borohydride aqueous solution was added as a reducing agent. This suspension was filtered and washed, and dried at 110 ° C. to obtain a 1% by weight silver-supported titanium oxide catalyst. As a result of observing the silver particles on the titanium oxide support with an electron microscope, the particle size of the silver particles was 10 nm or less.

(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
Add 0.5 ml of benzene, 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide and 5 ml of pure water to 20 ml of acetic acid, and then add 20 mg of 1 wt% silver particle-supported titanium oxide catalyst and seal it in a 25 ml bottle container (Duran screw mouth bottle). did. This was irradiated with an electron beam by a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service so that the irradiation dose became 90 kGy in total with an accelerated electron beam of 10 MeV.

Example 4
(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
To a mixed solution of 10 ml of acetic acid and 10 ml of pure water, 0.5 ml of benzene and 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide solution were added, and 20 mg of the 0.5 wt% gold particle-supported titanium oxide catalyst of Example 1 was further added to a 25 ml bottle. It was enclosed in a container (Duran screw mouth bottle). This was irradiated with an electron beam by a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service so that the irradiation dose became 90 kGy in total with an accelerated electron beam of 10 MeV.

Example 5
(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
To a mixed solution of 10 ml of acetic acid and 10 ml of pure water, 0.5 ml of benzene and 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water were added, and 20 mg of 0.5 wt% gold particle-supported titanium oxide catalyst of Example 1 was further added to a 25 ml bottle. It was enclosed in a container (Duran screw mouth bottle). This was irradiated with gamma rays so that the irradiation dose was 60 kGy at the Cobalt 60 irradiation facility of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency Takasaki Quantum Application Laboratory.

Example 6
(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
To 20 ml of acetic acid, 0.5 ml of benzene, 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water and 5 ml of pure water were added, and 20 mg of titanium oxide was further added and sealed in a 25 ml bottle container (Duran screw mouth bottle). This was irradiated with an electron beam at a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service with an acceleration electron beam of 10 MeV so that the total irradiation dose was 90 kGy.

Comparative Example 1
(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
To 20 ml of acetic acid, 0.5 ml of benzene, 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water and 5 ml of pure water were added and sealed in a 25 ml bottle container (Duran screw bottle) without adding a catalyst. This was irradiated with an electron beam at a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service with an acceleration electron beam of 10 MeV so that the total irradiation dose was 90 kGy.

Comparative Example 2
(Hydroxylation process of benzene)
To 20 ml of acetic acid, 0.5 ml of benzene, 2 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water and 5 ml of pure water were added, and 20 mg of the titanium oxide catalyst carrying 0.5% by weight of gold particles of Example 1 was further added, and 25 ml bottle container (Duran It was enclosed in a screw mouth bottle). This was left for 3 days. At this time, no particular measures were taken to block light.

Analysis example 1
Naphthalene is added as an internal standard to each reaction solution after completion of the reaction, and qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenol and biphenyl is performed by gas chromatography (apparatus: Shimadzu GC-2001, column: ZB-WAX, 0.25 mm × 30 m). It was. From the concentration of phenol and biphenyl thus obtained in the reaction solution and the initial benzene concentration, the conversion ratio of benzene to phenol or biphenyl was calculated by the following equation. The results are shown in Table 1. Conversion to phenol (%) = (phenol concentration (mol / L)) / (initial benzene concentration (mol / L)) × 100
Conversion to biphenyl (%) = (biphenyl concentration (mol / L)) × 2 / (initial benzene concentration (mol / L)) × 100

  As shown in Table 1, it was confirmed that when the reaction solution was irradiated with radiation in the presence of a catalyst, the conversion to phenol was remarkably improved.

(Benzene hydroxylation test using microreactor)
Examples 7-9, Comparative Example 3
Benzene (5 ml) and 30% hydrogen peroxide water (50 ml) were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total volume of 200 ml. Using this as a reaction solution, the reaction was carried out in an electron beam assisted microreactor.

  As the electron beam irradiation apparatus, EB-ENGENE (registered trademark) manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics was used, and the flow path of the microreactor was set at a distance of 10 mm from the irradiation window. In the microreactor channel, 1 wt% Pt-supported zeolite prepared in Example 2 was immobilized using silica sol as a binder. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 3 μm thick titanium foil. Further, the temperature of the microreactor channel can be controlled by a Peltier element. An electron beam was irradiated while flowing the reaction solution at 0.5 ml / min through the microreactor flow channel in which the catalyst was immobilized. Table 2 shows the electron beam irradiation conditions.

Examples 10-12, Comparative Example 4
Benzene (5 ml) and 30% hydrogen peroxide water (50 ml) were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total volume of 200 ml. Using this as a reaction solution, the reaction was carried out in an electron beam assisted microreactor.

  As the electron beam irradiation apparatus, EB-ENGENE (registered trademark) manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics was used, and the flow path of the microreactor was set at a distance of 10 mm from the irradiation window. In the microreactor channel, 0.5 wt% gold-supported titanium oxide prepared in Example 1 was immobilized using silica sol as a binder. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 3 μm thick titanium foil. Further, the temperature of the microreactor channel can be controlled by a Peltier element. An electron beam was irradiated while flowing the reaction solution at 0.5 ml / min through the microreactor flow channel in which the catalyst was immobilized. Table 3 shows the electron beam irradiation conditions.

Examples 13 to 15 and Comparative Example 5
Benzene (5 ml) and 30% hydrogen peroxide water (50 ml) were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total volume of 200 ml. Using this as a reaction solution, the reaction was carried out in an electron beam assisted microreactor.

  As the electron beam irradiation apparatus, EB-ENGENE (registered trademark) manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics was used, and the flow path of the microreactor was set at a distance of 10 mm from the irradiation window. Titanium oxide for photocatalyst (manufactured by Teika: TKC-304) was immobilized in the flow path of the microreactor. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 3 μm thick titanium foil. Further, the temperature of the microreactor channel can be controlled by a Peltier element. An electron beam was irradiated while flowing the reaction solution at 0.5 ml / min through the microreactor flow channel in which the catalyst was immobilized. Table 4 shows the electron beam irradiation conditions.

Comparative Example 6
Benzene (5 ml) and 30% hydrogen peroxide water (50 ml) were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total volume of 200 ml. Using this as a reaction solution, the reaction was carried out in a microreactor while irradiating with ultraviolet rays.

Titanium oxide for photocatalyst (manufactured by Teika: TKC-304) was immobilized in the flow path of the microreactor. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 11 μm thick polyethylene film. Further, the temperature of the microreactor channel can be controlled by a Peltier element. While flowing the reaction solution at a rate of 0.5 ml / min through the microreactor flow channel in which the catalyst was immobilized, UV irradiation was performed using a 355 nm wavelength LED illumination. The amount of ultraviolet irradiation was 0.9 mW / cm ² .

Comparative Example 7
Benzene (5 ml) and 30% hydrogen peroxide water (50 ml) were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total volume of 100 ml. Using this as a reaction solution, the reaction was carried out in a microreactor while irradiating with ultraviolet rays.

In the microreactor channel, 0.5 wt% gold-supported titanium oxide prepared in Example 1 was immobilized using silica sol as a binder. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 11 μm thick polyethylene film. Further, the temperature of the microreactor channel can be controlled by a Peltier element. While flowing the reaction solution at a rate of 0.5 ml / min through the microreactor flow channel in which the catalyst was immobilized, UV irradiation was performed using a 355 nm wavelength LED illumination. The amount of ultraviolet irradiation was 0.9 mW / cm ² .

Comparative Example 8
Benzene (5 ml) and 30% hydrogen peroxide water (50 ml) were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total volume of 200 ml. Using this as a reaction solution, the reaction was carried out in a microreactor while irradiating with ultraviolet rays.

In the microreactor channel, 1 wt% platinum-supported zeolite prepared in Example 2 was immobilized using silica sol as a binder. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 11 μm thick polyethylene film. Further, the temperature of the microreactor channel can be controlled by a Peltier element. While flowing the reaction solution at a rate of 0.5 ml / min through the microreactor flow channel in which the catalyst was immobilized, UV irradiation was performed using a 355 nm wavelength LED illumination. The amount of ultraviolet irradiation was 0.9 mW / cm ² .

Analysis example 2
The liquid after reaction obtained in Examples 7 to 15 and Comparative Examples 3 to 8 was analyzed in the same manner as in Analysis Example 1. The results are shown in Table 5.

  From Table 5, it was confirmed that phenol could be efficiently produced from hydrogen peroxide and benzene by the method of the present invention using a microreactor.

Example 16
(Preparation of cobalt oxide catalyst)
10.0 g of cobalt nitrate hexahydrate was dissolved in 1 liter of pure water, and a 10% by weight aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution was added until the pH was 9 or more to produce a cobalt hydroxide precipitate. The precipitate was allowed to stand overnight for aging, followed by filtration and washing. Further, the filtrate was dried at 120 ° C. and then fired at 300 ° C. in the air. The obtained powder was black and the non-surface area was 84 m ² / g.

Example 17
(Preparation of gold particle supported cobalt oxide catalyst)
10.0 g of cobalt oxide prepared in Example 16 was impregnated with an aqueous chloroauric acid solution so that 0.5 wt% of gold was contained based on the weight of cobalt oxide. After drying, 10 g of the resulting mixture was placed in 1 L of a 10 wt% aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and stirred for 30 minutes or more. The pH of the suspension at this time was 9.5 or higher. Further, 20 ml of a 1% by weight aqueous sodium borohydride solution was added as a reducing agent. This suspension was filtered and washed, and dried at 110 ° C. to obtain a 0.5 wt% gold-supported cobalt oxide catalyst. As a result of observing the gold particles on the cobalt oxide support with an electron microscope, the particle size of the gold particles was 10 nm or less.

Example 18
(Preparation of 1.0 wt% silver-supported titanium oxide)
10.0 g of titanium oxide (ST-01 manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was impregnated with an aqueous silver nitrate solution so as to contain 1.0% by weight as silver based on the weight of titanium oxide. After drying, 10 g of the resulting mixture was placed in 1 L of a 10 wt% aqueous sodium hydrogen carbonate solution and stirred for 30 minutes or more. The pH of the suspension at this time was 9.5 or higher. Further, 20 ml of a 1% by weight aqueous sodium borohydride solution was added as a reducing agent. This suspension was filtered and washed, and dried at 110 ° C. to obtain a 1.0 wt% silver-supported titanium oxide catalyst. As a result of observing the silver particles on the titanium oxide support with an electron microscope, the particle size of the silver particles was 10 nm or less.

Example 19
(Preparation of 0.5 wt% ruthenium-supported titanium oxide)
10.0 g of titanium oxide (ST-01 manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd.) was impregnated with an aqueous ruthenium chloride solution so as to contain 0.5% by weight as ruthenium based on the weight of titanium oxide. After drying, heat treatment was performed in air at 300 ° C. for 2 hours to obtain a 0.5 wt% ruthenium-supported titanium oxide catalyst.

Example 20
(Preparation of 0.5% by weight ruthenium-supported USY zeolite)
10.0 g of USY-type zeolite (manufactured by Tosoh, HSZ-350HUA) was impregnated with an aqueous ruthenium chloride solution so as to contain 0.5% by weight as ruthenium based on the weight of the zeolite. After drying, heat treatment was performed in air at 300 ° C. for 2 hours to obtain a 0.5 wt% ruthenium-supported zeolite catalyst.

Example 21
(Preparation of 0.5 wt% gold-0.5 wt% ruthenium-supported titanium oxide)
Chloride so that 10.0 g of titanium oxide (ST-01 manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd.) contains 0.5 wt% as gold based on the weight of titanium oxide and 0.5 wt% as chloroauric acid aqueous solution and ruthenium. Impregnated with an aqueous ruthenium solution. After drying, heat treatment was performed in air at 300 ° C. for 3 hours to obtain a 0.5 wt% ruthenium-supported titanium oxide catalyst.

Example 22
(Preparation of 0.5 wt% platinum-0.5 wt% ruthenium-supported titanium oxide)
Chloride so that 10.0 g of titanium oxide (ST-01 manufactured by Ishihara Sangyo Co., Ltd.) contains 0.5 wt% as platinum based on the weight of titanium oxide and 0.5 wt% as chloroplatinic acid aqueous solution and ruthenium. Impregnated with an aqueous ruthenium solution. After drying, heat treatment was performed in air at 300 ° C. for 3 hours to obtain a 0.5 wt% ruthenium-supported titanium oxide catalyst.

Examples 23-32
5 ml of benzene, 5 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water, and 80 ml of pure water were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total of 200 ml. 20 ml of this reaction solution and 20 mg of the catalyst shown in Table 6 were added and sealed in a 25 ml bottle container (Duran screw mouth bottle). This was irradiated with an electron beam by a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service so that the irradiation dose became 90 kGy in total with an accelerated electron beam of 10 MeV.

Analysis example 3
Each reaction solution after completion of the reaction was subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenol, biphenyl and benzoquinone in the same manner as in Analysis Example 1. However, the pass-through rate to benzoquinone was calculated from the concentration of benzoquinone in the reaction solution and the initial benzene concentration by the following formula. Table 7 shows the results of qualitative and quantitative analysis.

  Conversion to benzoquinone (%) = (biphenyl concentration (mol / L)) / (initial benzene concentration (mol / L)) × 100

Examples 33-44
5 ml of benzene, 5 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water, and 80 ml of pure water were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total of 200 ml. 20 ml of this reaction solution and 20 mg of the metal compound shown in Table 7 were added as metal and sealed in a 25 ml bottle container (Duran screw bottle). This was irradiated with an electron beam by a nuclear fuel industry NFI irradiation service so that the irradiation dose became 90 kGy in total with an accelerated electron beam of 10 MeV.

Analysis example 3
Each reaction solution after completion of the reaction was subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenol, biphenyl and benzoquinone in the same manner as in Analysis Example 1. Table 9 shows the results of qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Examples 45-54
5 ml of benzene, 5 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water, and 80 ml of pure water were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total of 200 ml. Using this as a reaction solution, the reaction was carried out in an electron beam assisted microreactor.

  As the electron beam irradiation apparatus, EB-ENGENE (registered trademark) manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics was used, and the flow path of the microreactor was set at a distance of 20 mm from the irradiation window. Catalysts shown in Table 10 were immobilized in the microreactor channel using silica sol as a binder. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 3 μm thick titanium foil. The microreactor flow path was controlled at 20 ° C. by a Peltier device. An electron beam was irradiated under the conditions of an acceleration voltage of 110 KeV and a current value of 150 μA while flowing the reaction solution at 0.05 ml / min through the microreactor channel on which the catalyst was immobilized.

Analysis example 4
Each reaction solution after completion of the reaction was subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenol, biphenyl and benzoquinone in the same manner as in Analysis Example 1. Table 11 shows the results of qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Examples 55-66
5 ml of benzene, 5 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide water, and 80 ml of pure water were placed in a 200 ml volumetric flask, and acetic acid was added to a total of 200 ml. In 200 ml of this reaction solution, 200 mg of the metal compound shown in Table 12 as a metal was dissolved and reacted in an electron beam assisted microreactor.

  As the electron beam irradiation apparatus, EB-ENGENE (registered trademark) manufactured by Hamamatsu Photonics was used, and the flow path of the microreactor was set at a distance of 20 mm from the irradiation window. The catalyst was used without fixing the catalyst in the microreactor channel. The flow path had a width of 500 μm, a depth of 100 μm, and a length of 79 mm. The microreactor channel was covered with a 3 μm thick titanium foil. The microreactor flow path was controlled at 20 ° C. by a Peltier device. While the reaction solution was allowed to flow through the microreactor flow path at 0.05 ml / min, an electron beam was irradiated under the conditions of an acceleration voltage of 110 KeV and a current value of 150 μA.

Analysis example 5
Each reaction solution after completion of the reaction was subjected to qualitative and quantitative analysis of phenol, biphenyl and benzoquinone in the same manner as in Analysis Example 1. The results of qualitative / quantitative analysis are shown in Table 13.

  As described above, any one of the batch method and the microreactor is performed by irradiating the reaction solution containing the aromatic compound, water, the oxidizing agent, and the photocatalyst or the partial oxidation catalyst containing the noble metal particles or the noble metal oxide particles. This also makes it possible to efficiently convert benzene to phenol.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1a Pump part 1b Pump part 2 Microreactor flow path part 3 Electron beam irradiation part 4 Peltier temperature control part 5 Flow path cover 6 Flow path cover presser

Claims (18)

  The reaction solution containing (a) an aromatic compound, (b) water, (c) an oxidizing agent, and (d) a catalyst containing a photocatalyst, a noble metal or a noble metal oxide is irradiated with radiation to partially oxidize the aromatic compound. A method for producing an aromatic hydroxide, comprising obtaining an aromatic hydroxide.   The method of claim 1, wherein the photocatalyst is selected from the group consisting of titanium oxide, tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, zirconium oxide, tin oxide, zinc oxide, and mixtures thereof.   The photocatalyst is supported with at least one metal selected from the group consisting of platinum, palladium, ruthenium, rhodium, gold, silver, copper, nickel and cobalt or an oxide thereof as a cocatalyst. The method according to claim 1 or 2.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the noble metal or noble metal oxide is selected from the group consisting of simple metals, oxides, and mixtures of metals belonging to Group 8 to Group 11.   5. The noble metal or noble metal oxide is at least one kind of noble metal selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium, iridium and indium or an oxide thereof. The method described in 1.   The method according to any one of claims 1, 4 and 5, wherein the noble metal or noble metal oxide is gold, silver, or platinum.   The method according to claim 1 or any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the noble metal or noble metal oxide is a particle having a particle size of 50 nm or less.   The noble metal or noble metal oxide is silica, alumina, silica alumina, silica titania, zeolite, titanium oxide, iron oxide, copper oxide, mesoporous silica, mesoporous titania, tungsten oxide, niobium oxide, carbon nitride, porous silica, porous The method according to claim 7, wherein the method is supported on at least one carrier selected from the group consisting of titania, zirconia, ceria, activated carbon, carbon black, carbon nanotube, and carbon nanofiber.   The reaction solution containing (a) an aromatic compound, (b) water, (c) an oxidant, and (d) a catalyst containing a cobalt compound is irradiated with radiation to partially oxidize the aromatic compound to thereby produce aromatic water. A method for producing an aromatic hydroxide, comprising obtaining an oxide.   The method according to claim 9, wherein the cobalt compound is a cobalt compound dissolved in water or an organic solvent.   The method according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the cobalt compound is cobalt acetate, cobalt formate, cobalt nitrate, cobalt sulfate, and cobalt (II) acetylacetonate.   The method according to claim 9, wherein the cobalt compound is cobalt oxide (II, III). The method according to claim 9, wherein the cobalt compound is cobalt oxide (II, III) having a specific surface area of 50 m ² / g or more.   The reaction solution containing (a) an aromatic compound, (b) water, (c) an oxidant, and (d) a noble metal compound solution is irradiated with radiation to partially oxidize the aromatic compound to produce an aromatic hydroxide. A process for producing an aromatic hydroxide, characterized in that it is obtained.   The method according to claim 14, wherein the noble metal compound is a noble metal compound that dissolves in water or an organic solvent. The noble metal compound is palladium nitrate (II), palladium acetate (II), bisacetylacetonato palladium (II), tetraammine palladium (II) nitrate, tetraammine platinum (II) nitrate, biscetyl acetonato platinum (II), and 16. The process according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that it is hexaammineruthenium (III) nitrate.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the oxidizing agent is hydrogen peroxide or nitrous oxide.   The method according to claim 1, wherein the aromatic compound is benzene, and the aromatic hydroxide is phenol.

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