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It has long been desirable to prepare 2-phenylethyl alcohol in a low cost process. This material is a valuable intermediate in the preparation of fragrances and of styrene, a commercial chemical with widely varying uses. In the past, it has been proposed that 2-phenylethyl alcohol be prepared from benzyl alcohol. For example, the reaction has been described by Wender, I. et al., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 71 (1949), pages 4160-4161 wherein the use of a cobalt catalyst was described. This early work is summarized by Orchin in Advances in Catalysis, Vol. V (1953), pages 393-414. This auther reports that, at 183° C., a 50-60 percent yield of toluene and a 23-35 percent yield of 2-phenylethyl alcohol is obtained. Other workers have experimented with this reaction, particularly Y. B. Kryukov et al., Neftekhimiya, 1970, 10 (1), at page 83. Here, a vapor phase reaction is described over an iron, alumina, vanadium and potassium catalyst at 430° C. and 50 atmospheres pressure. Unfortunately, in this latter reaction extremely low selectivities to the 2-phenylethyl alcohol were obtained.

1. customin the preparation of fragrances
2. customat 183° C.