On the mechanism of hydrodeoxygenation of ortho substituted phenols

Abstract Hydrodeoxygenation reactivities of four ortho‐substituted phenols and of the unsubstituted phenol were compared at 350°C in the presence of a cobalt molybdate catalyst. The order of reactivities was established as: tert‐butyl phenol >phenol >methyl phenol> ethyl phenol >dimethyl phenol.The order of resistance of phenolic rings to hydrogenation was observed as: dimethyl phenol methyl phenol >ethyl phenol >tert butyl phenol >phenol.