HYDROXYLATION OF AROMATIC COMPOUND

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method for hydroxylating an aromatic compound by which the aromatic compound is hydroxylated by oxidation by using a vanadium complex which is successively regenerative as a catalyst. SOLUTION: An aromatic compound such as benzene, toluene and xylene is hydroxylated by the reaction thereof with oxygen and hydroquinone or a substituted hydroquinone in the presence of a vanadium compound, typically an oxychelate of pentavalent vanadium with picolinic acid or a substituted picolinic acid. The vanadium compound is formed at the place by reacting a tetravalent or pentavalent vanadium precursor compound with a chelating reagent.