Water as a hydrogen atom donor in benzoic acid decarboxylation

An efficient production of benzene from benzoic acid in subcritical water using a copper(i) oxide catalyst

“…The hydrothermal method is inherently environmentally benign, [5][6][7] however, the relatively high stability of benzoic acid in water greatly limits the efficiency of the reaction and all of the past relevant research shows that the yield of benzene obtained from benzoic acid by the hydrothermal method is quite low. [8][9][10][11][12] For example, when benzoic acid was heated at 350 °C in SbCW for 500 min, the benzene yield was less than 10%. 12 Therefore, it is a significant challenge to explore a novel method to realize the reaction from benzoic acid to benzene involving an environmentally-friendly, efficient and economical system.…”