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6657014 
Journal Article 
Synthesis of phenethyl alcohol by catalytic hydrogenation of styrene oxide 
Yadav, VG; Chandalia, SB; , 
1998 
1 
Organic Process Research and Development
ISSN: 1083-6160 
AMER CHEMICAL SOC 
WASHINGTON 
2 
5 
294-297 
English 
WOS:000076091100005 
In the current work, phenethyl alcohol was synthesized by the hydrogenation of styrene oxide, which may be obtained by the oxidation of styrene, Conventional method of synthesis of phenethyl alcohol is by the Friedel-Crafts alkylation of benzene by using ethylene oxide and molar quantities of aluminum chloride. This method causes effluent disposal problems due to the stoichiometric use of aluminum chloride as the aluminum oxychloride formed in the process is normally not recycled, The hydrogenation of styrene oxide was conducted by using Raney nickel catalyst and process conditions were established. The yield of phenethyl alcohol obtained was 90.2% with 92% overall conversion of styrene oxide under suitable conditions. Styrene oxide was also synthesized in the laboratory.