Method for hydroxylating aromatic compounds

摘要

Aromatic compounds such as benzene, toluene and xylene are hydroxylated by reaction with oxygen and hydroquinone or a substituted hydroquinone in the presence of a vanadium compound, typically a pentavalent vanadium oxy chelate with picolinic acid or a substituted picolinic acid. The vanadium compound may be produced in situ by reaction of the chelating agent with a tetravalent or pentavalent precursor vanadium compound.