Editing Phenol (section)

===Oxidation of benzene, toluene, cyclohexylbenzene===
The direct oxidation of [[benzene]] ({{chem2|C6H6}}) to phenol is possible, but it has not been commercialized: 
:{{chem2|C6H6 + O -> C6H5OH}}
[[Nitrous oxide]] is a potentially "green" oxidant that is a more potent oxidant than O<sub>2</sub>. Routes for the generation of nitrous oxide however remain uncompetitive.<ref name=CatalysisToday2005>{{cite journal |last1=Parmon |first1=V. N. |last2=Panov |first2=G. I. |last3=Uriarte |first3=A. |last4=Noskov |first4=A. S. |title=Nitrous oxide in oxidation chemistry and catalysis application and production |journal=Catalysis Today |volume=100 |issue=2005 |pages=115–131 |doi=10.1016/j.cattod.2004.12.012 |year=2005}}</ref><ref name="essential chemical"/><ref name="acs phenol"/>

An [[electrosynthesis]] employing [[alternating current]] gives phenol from benzene.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Lee |first1=Byungik |last2=Naito |first2=Hiroto |last3=Nagao |first3=Masahiro |last4=Hibino |first4=Takashi |title=Alternating-Current Electrolysis for the Production of Phenol from Benzene |journal=Angewandte Chemie International Edition |date=9 July 2012 |volume=51 |issue=28 |pages=6961–6965 |doi=10.1002/anie.201202159|pmid=22684819}}</ref>

The oxidation of [[toluene]], as developed by [[Dow Chemical]], involves copper-catalyzed reaction of molten sodium benzoate with air:
:{{chem2|C6H5CH3 + 2 O2 -> C6H5OH + CO2 + H2O}}
The reaction is proposed to proceed via formation of benzyoylsalicylate.<ref name="Ullmann"/>

[[Autoxidation]] of [[cyclohexylbenzene]] gives the [[hydroperoxide]]. Decomposition of this hydroperoxide affords [[cyclohexanone]] and phenol.<ref name="Ullmann"/>