To obtain adamantanetriol or adamantanetetraol by simply and efficiently converting hydrogen atoms of an adamantane, in which hydrogen atoms are bonded to at least three bridgeheads among the four bridgeheads, to hydroxy groups.
The adamantane to be a raw material in an amount of 1 mol is oxidized with 9-50 mols, preferably 10-30 mols of chromic acid in an aqueous solution of an organic acid. When the raw material adamantane is a nonsubstituted adamantane, the amount of chromic acid used is 10-14 mols to selectively give adamantanetriol in which hydroxy groups are introduced into only three bridgeheads and the amount of chromic acid used is ≥16 mols to selectively give adamantanetetraol in which hydroxy groups are introduced into the whole four bridgeheads. When an adamantane in which only one bridgehead is replaced with an alkyl group or the like, an adamantane triol in which hydrogen atoms at the residual three bridgeheads are replaced with hydroxy groups is obtained.
YAMAMOTO HIROMASA
CHO KEIRAN
