PURPOSE: To cleanly obtain the subject substance as raw material of production of 1,1'-binaphthyl-2,2'-dicarboxylic acid as a resolving reagent for introducing to an optically active substance by using oxygen as oxidizer in oxidizing 1- bromo-2-alkylnaphthalene in liquid phase in the presence of catalyst.

CONSTITUTION: 1-bromo-2-alkylnaphthalene is used as a raw material and oxidized using molecular oxygen-containing gas, especially air as an oxidizer, heavy metal and bromine compound as catalysts in liquid phase at 30-250°C, preferably 50-200°C to afford the aimed compound. As a raw material, especially 1-bromo-2-methylnaphthalene is preferable. As a reaction solvent, water, acetic acid or nitrobenzene, etc., is used and preferably organic carboxylic acid is contained in the solvent. As organic carboxylic acid, fatty acid such as acetic acid, benzoic acid and the aimed compound, etc., is used. Said compound is suitably contained in an amount of preferably ≥10% in the reaction system at initial of the reaction.