摘要 |
PURPOSE:To prepare an alcohol useful as various industrial raw materials in high yield and easily, simply by reacting various aldehydes with formaldehyde in the presence of a ruthenium catalyst. CONSTITUTION:An aldehyde, e.g. alpha-naphthaldehyde, of formulaI(R is aryl, alkyl or alkenyl) is reacted with formaldehyde in the presence of a ruthenium comlex, e.g. dichlorotris(triphenylphosphine)ruthenium, as a ruthenium catalyst, preferably in a solvent, e.g. methanol, ethanol or water, at about 60-100 deg.C to give an alcohol of formula II, e.g. 1-hydroxymethylnaphthalene. The formalin to be used is inexpensive and capable of reducing only the aldehyde group even in the presence of a nitro group, halogen, carbonyl group, etc. EFFECT:The treatment after the reaction is easily carried out. |