| abstract |
In a process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon to the corresponding hydroperoxide, alcohol, ketone, carboxylic acid or dicarboxylic acid, a reaction medium comprising a hydrocarbon is contacted with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide of the general formula (I): n nwherein each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or from the groups SO 3 H, NH 2 , OH and NO 2 , or from the atoms H, F, Cl, Br and I provided that R 1 and R 2 can be linked to one another via a covalent bond; each of Q 1 and Q 2 is independently selected from C, CH, N, and CR 3 ; each of X and Z is independently selected from C, S, CH 2 , N, P and an element of Group 4 of the Periodic Table; Y is O or OH; k is 0, 1, or 2; l is 0, 1, or 2; m is 1 to 3; and R 3 can be any of the entities listed for R 1 . The contacting is conducted under conditions such as to maintain the concentration of both water and organic acids in the reaction medium below 50 ppm. |