One-pot synthesis of phenol and cyclohexanone from cyclohexylbenzene catalyzed by N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI)

Synthesis of phenol and cyclohexanone in one pot was examined by means of the NHPI-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of cyclohexylbenzene. The aerobic oxidation of cyclohexylbenzene catalyzed by NHPI followed by treatment with sulfuric acid afforded phenol and cyclohexanone in good selectivities. Thus, the reaction of cyclohexylbenzene under atmospheric dioxygen (1 atm) by NHPI at 100 °C for 3 h followed by treatment with 0.3 M sulfuric acid at room temperature for 2 h resulted in phenol and cyclohexanone in 96 and 91% selectivity, respectively, at 25% conversion. This method was successfully extended to the one-pot synthesis of 4-hydroxyacetophenone and cyclohexanone.