2-Phenylethanol → Phenylacetaldehyde

The same installation as in Example 1 is used. A catalyst comprising 82 parts of silver crystals of particle sizes from 0.1 to 2.5 mm is introduced, as a homogeneous bed, into the reactor. The height of the catalyst bed is 30 mm. Using a similar method to Example 1, a mixture of 150 parts of 2-phenylethanol and 60 parts of water with 210 parts of air is passed per hour over the catalyst at 540° C. and 1.1 bar. The residence time is 0.07 second and the throughput 0.2 tonne/m2.h. 99 parts of phenylacetaldehyde (in the form of a 73 percent strength by weight organic phase) are obtained per hour, corresponding to a yield of 67% of theory. The conversion is 78 percent and the space-time yield is 5 grams of phenylacetaldehyde per cm3 of catalyst volume per hour.