Process for preparing o-alkoxy-p-allylphenols

Claim 1

In a process for preparing an o-alkoxy-p-allylphenol in which the alkoxy is methoxy or ethoxy comprising contacting an o-alkoxyphenol in which the alkoxy is as defined above, with an allyl halide in the presence of an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide, the improvement which comprises employing a copper-containing compound and a nitrogen-containing compound as a catalyst, said copper-containing compound being selected from the group consisting of copper (I) chloride, copper (II) chloride, copper (I) bromide, copper (II) bromide, copper (II) sulfate, copper phosphate, copper acetate and copper oxide, the amount of the copper contained in said copper-containing compound being from 0.01 to 0.2 gram atom per one mole of the o-alkoxyphenol, and the said nitrogen-containing compound being selected from the group consisting of ammonia, ammonium chloride, ammonium phosphate, hydroxylamine hydrochloride, allylamine, an alkylamine having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an alkoxyalkylamine having 2 to 4 carbon atoms, an ethylenediamine, a carboxylic acid amide having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, a hydrazine having 0 to 4 carbon atoms and an amino acid, a temperature of from about 0° to about 50° C. being employed when the said nitrogen-containing compound is ammonia and a temperature of from about 0° to about 60° C. being employed when the said nitrogen-containing compound is other than ammonia.