To produce an arylalkyl hydroperoxide selectively, in high conversion and in high concentration by oxidizing an arylalkylhydrocarbon with an oxygen- containing gas in the presence of a transition metal complex having a specific compound as a ligand as a catalyst.
This production of an arylalkyl hydroperoxide is to oxidize (A) an arylalkylhydrocarbon of formula II [P and Q are each H, an alkyl, etc.; (x) is 1-3 integer; Ar is an aromatic hydrocarbon having (x) valency] with (B) an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a transition metal complex catalyst of formula I [A2 is independently a 1-6C alkylene, o-phenylene, 1,8- naphthylene, etc.; K21 to K24 are independently H, an alkyl, an aryl, pyridyl, etc.; M is a transition metal ion having +(a) valency as the central metal ion; X is a counter ion having -(b) valency and stable against oxidation; (a) is 1-4 integer; (b) is a positive integer; (n) is 1-4 integer, (n)=(a)/(b); (m) is an integer not less than 2] and convert reaction product into the corresponding arylalkyl hydroperoxide.
FUJITA TERUNORI
TAKAI TOSHIHIRO
MATSUOKA HIDETO
KAGAYAMA AKISHI
KURODA HIROSHI
HIROKANE SHINYA
