PURPOSE: To suppress the amount of ethylbenzene formed as a by-product to a sufficiently low level and obtain α-phenylethyl alcohol useful as a raw material for styrene and various perfumes in high selectivity using a readily preparable catalyst by hydrogenating acetophenone in the presence of the specific supported catalyst.
CONSTITUTION: (B) Acetophenone is hydrogenated in the presence of (A) a supported catalyst containing 2-9wt.% CuO and 2-9wt.% Cr2O3 supported on a carrier such as silica or diatomaceous earth to afford the objective compound. Furthermore, the component (A) is prepared by adding the powdery silica carrier to a solution obtained by dissolving, e.g. cupric carbonate and ammonium dichromate in aqueous ammonia, then stirring and kneading the resultant mixture, providing a homogeneous pasty form, drying the obtained paste at 80-150°C temperature under 10-300mHg reduced pressure, then washing the dried material with water, etc., several tithes, affording a cake, drying the resultant cake, calcining and thermally decomposing the dried cake at 100-500°C temperature in air for 1-2hr.
ISHINO MASARU
HIBI TAKAO
