Oxidation of ethers using aldehyde-activated catalysts

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE DIRECT OXIDATION OF AN ORGANIC COMPOUND CONTAINING AN ETHER LINKAGE HAVING THE GRAPHIC FORMULA R-O-R'' WHEREIN R AND R'' EACH IS A RADICAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THE ALKYL AND ARALKYL GROUPS TO THE CORRESPONDING CARBOXYLIC ACID WHICH COMPRISES TREATING A SOLUTION OF A METAL ION IN A LOWER ALIPHTIC ACID WITH AN ALDEHYDE AND A GASEOUS OXIDIZING MEDIUM TO FORM A CATALYST SOLUTION, SIMULTANEOUSLY INTRODUCING MATERIAL AMOUNTS OF THE ETHER-TYPE COMPOUND AND ADDITIONAL ALDEHYDE INTO THE SOLUTION, OXIDIZING THE CONTENT OF ETHER-TYPE COMPOUND OF THE RESULTING SOLUTION OF CATALYST COMPOUND AND ALDEHYDE BY TREATING THE SOLUTION WITH GASEOUS OXIDIZING MEDIUM, MAINTAINING THE SOLUTION UNDER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CONDITIONS DURING INTRODUCTION OF THE OXIDIZING MEDIUM SUCH THAT THE SOLUTION IS MAINTAINED IN THE LIQUID PHASE, AND THEREAFTER RECOVERING THE ACID PRODUCED.