PURPOSE: To produce the titled compound useful as a raw material of perfumes and pharmaceuticals, etc., in high yield and purity, by oxidizing p-t-butyltoluene with an O2-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst, and maintaining the reaction product at a specific temperature.
CONSTITUTION: p-t-Butyltoluene is oxidized with an O2-containing gas in acetic acid solvent at 50W120°C in the presence of a catalyst containing a cobalt compound (e.g. bromide, hydroxide, acetate, etc.) and a bromine compound (e.g. bromine, cobalt bromide, bromoacetic acid, etc.), the reaction product is maintained at 130W200°C, and the objective p-t-butylbenzaldehyde is separated from the reaction product. The amount of the cobalt compound is 0.1W1.0wt% in terms of cobalt metal based on the acetic acid used as the solvent, and that of the bromine compound is 0.1W5pts.wt., in terms of bromine atom, per 1pt.wt. of cobalt metal. The by-produced p-t-butylbenzyl bromide is converted to p-t- butylbenzyl acetate by the heat-treatment, and is separated easily from the objective compound.
OOTOMO SHIGERU
NAKAOKA KENJI
