THE OXIDATION OF 2,4,6-TRIMETHYLPHENOL WITH MOLECULAR-OXYGEN CATALYZED BY A COPPER(II)-OXIME OR COPPER(II)-AMINE SYSTEM

2,4,6-Trimethylphenol (1a) was selectively oxidized to 3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde (2a) by molecular oxygen in the presence of a copper(II) chloride-oxime or copper(II) chloride-amine catalyst in alcohol at ambient temperature. When an acid was present in the catalyst system, the formation of both 2,6-dimethyl-p-benzoquinone (3) and a formaldehyde dialkyl acetal was accelerated. It is likely that 2a is produced by way of the formation of a quinonemethide intermediate, followed by a repeated 1,6-addition of alcohol on the intermediate to form a 4-(alkoxymethyl)-2,6-dimethylphenol (5a), and then 3,5-dimethyl-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde dialkyl acetal, which would be hydrolyzed to 2a. When the reaction time was shortened, 5a was isolated in good yield. Oxidations of the other p-methyl-substituted phenols were also examined using the present oxidation system.