PRODUCTION OF DIOL

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a diol useful as a raw material for synthetic resins and medicines in good yield by subjecting a dicarboxylic acid to hydrogenerating reduction in the presence of a catalyst. SOLUTION: A dicarboxylic acid of the formula, HOOC-R-COOH (R is a substitutable saturated, unsaturated or aromatic divalent 3-20C hydrocarbon) is subjected to hydrogenerating reduction in the presence of a catalyst at 100-200 deg.C under 20-120kg/cm<2> pressure to provide the objective diol of the formula, HOCH2 -R'-CH2 OH (R is as same as R when R is a saturated hydrocarbon and R' is a saturated hydrocarbon having same skeleton as R when R is an unsaturated or aromatic hydrocarbon). A catalyst comprising a metal selected from Ru and Rh and/or its metal compound and a metal selected from VI b group and Re and/or its metal compound is used for the above purpose. The catalyst may be supported on a support.