To provide a method for separating a reaction product from a catalyst, in which the reaction product from the catalyst and/or the changed catalyst can be separated, by simple operations where an imide compound such as N- hydroxyphthalimide is used as the catalyst and a hydrocarbon or the like as one of solvents.
This method for separating the reaction product from the catalyst and/or the changed catalyst in a reaction mixture obtained by a reaction in the presence of an imide compound catalyst represented by the general formula (1) (R1 and R2 are each H, an alkyl or the like, provided that R1 and R2 may be bound to each other to form a double bond or an aromatic or non- aromatic ring; X is oxygen atom hydroxyl group), characterized by using an aqueous solvent containing at least water and a non-aqueous solvent capable of being separated from the aqueous solvent. Thus the reaction product is separated in the non-aqueous solvent layer and the imide compound catalyst or its changed product in the aqueous solvent layer, respectively.
HIRAI NARIHISA
WATANABE HITOSHI
