Patent ID: 7414160

Claim:
A process for producing an aromatic compound, comprising the steps of: bringing an aromatic compound (B) represented by Formula (I): Ar—H (1) wherein Ar is an aromatic cyclic group which may have at least one substituent, H, directly attached to Ar through a single bond; into contact with molecular oxygen (C) in the presence of a catalyst (A) to thereby yield another aromatic compound (G) than the aromatic compound (B), the catalyst (A) comprising at least one of (A1) a heteropolyacid and/or a salt thereof, and (A2) a mixture of oxoacids and/or salts thereof provided that the catalyst (A) containing, as a whole, at least P, Mo, and V, and comprises 10.5 to 11.9 gram atom of Mo, and 0.1 to 1.5 gram atom of V relative to 1 gram of P, the process further comprising at least one of the following steps (i) and (ii): (i) bringing the aromatic compound (B) into contact with the molecular oxygen (C) further in the presence of a palladium compound catalyst (E) to thereby yield a corresponding aromatic ring assembly compound (G2) represented by Formula (2): Ar—(Ar) y (2) wherein Ar is an aromatic cyclic group which may have at least one substituent, each aromatic ring in Ar attached directly to another aromatic ring through a single bond and wherein y=1 or 2; and (ii) allowing the aromatic compound (B) to react with an olefin or acetylene (F) and the molecular oxygen (C) further in the presence of a palladium compound catalyst (E) to thereby yield a corresponding aromatic compound (G3) having an alkenyl group or alkynyl group combined with its aromatic ring.