PURPOSE: The titled separating agent that is composed of a specific acetylenic alcohol, thus forming stable complexes with alcohols to enable no-loss separation and recovery of the alcohol from an alcohol-containing solution in high yield and recovery by filtration and drying.

CONSTITUTION: The objective alcohol-separating agent is composed of a compound of formula I (R1WR5, R6WR10 are H, lower alkyl where at least one of R1WR5 and R6WR10 are lower alkyls). The agent is added to a solution containing more than 5%, preferably more than 30% of alcohol to form a complex with the alcohol in the form of crystals. The precipitate is filtered, rinsed, dried, then heated to liberate the alcohol whereby pure alcohol or alcohol of high purity is obtained. The compound of formula I is obtained by reaction of a benzophenone derivative of formula II with acetylene in liquid ammonia in the presence of sodium amide.