SYNTHESIS OF PHENETHYL ALCOHOL BY CATALYTIC-HYDROGENATION OF STYRENE OXIDE

In the current work, phenethyl alcohol was synthesized by the hydrogen ation of styrene oxide, which may be obtained by the oxidation of styr ene, Conventional method of synthesis of phenethyl alcohol is by the F riedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene by using ethylene oxide and molar quantities of aluminum chloride. This method causes effluent disposal problems due to the stoichiometric use of aluminum chloride as the alu minum oxychloride formed in the process is normally not recycled, The hydrogenation of styrene oxide was conducted by using Raney nickel cat alyst and process conditions were established. The yield of phenethyl alcohol obtained was 90.2% with 92% overall conversion of styrene oxid e under suitable conditions. Styrene oxide was also synthesized in the laboratory.