METHOD FOR PRODUCING HYDROXYBENZYL ALCOHOLS

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for producing a hydroxybenzyl alcohol by using a combination of an alkali metal borohydride and boron trifluoride/ether complex as a reducing agent and safely and simply reducing a hydroxybenzoic acid. SOLUTION: This method for producing a hydroxybenzyl alcohol of general formula (II) (n is an integer of 1 to 3) is characterized in that a hydroxybenzoic acid of general formula (I) (n is an integer of 1 to 3) is reduced in a polyhydric alcohol ether solvent by using an alkali metal borohydride/boron trifluoride complex as a reducing agent.