title: Oxidation of substituted toluenes with molecular oxygen in the presence of N,N',N' '-trihydroxyisocyanuric acid as a key catalyst.
abstract: N,N',N' '-Trihydroxyisocianuric acid (THICA) was found to be a very efficient catalyst for the oxidation of alkylbenzenes with dioxygen. Thus, a variety of meta- and para-substituted toluenes bearing an electron-withdrawing substituent such as cyanotoluene, chlorotoluene, and toluic acid under O(2) (1 atm) in the presence of THICA (5 mol %) and Co(OAc)(2) (0.5 mol %) at 100 degrees C were smoothly oxidized to the corresponding benzoic acids in almost quantitative yields. The aerobic oxidation of toluene by THICA was compared with that by N-hydroxyphthalimide. p-Xylene was efficiently oxidized by THICA to telephthalic acid in high yield (over 95%) under mild conditions.
authors.affiliation: Daicel Chemical Industry, Ltd., Shinzaike, Aboshi-ku, Himeji Hyogo 671-1283, Japan.
authors.forename: Naruhisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sawatari
authors.forename: Norihiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Yasutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishii