Patent ID: 8487138

Claim:
A process for oxidizing a hydrocarbon, the process comprising: (a) contacting a hydrocarbon with an oxygen-containing gas in the presence of a catalyst comprising a cyclic imide of the general formula (I): wherein each of R 1 and R 2 is independently selected from hydrocarbyl and substituted hydrocarbyl radicals having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, or from the groups SO 3 H, NH 2 , OH and NO 2 , or from the atoms H, F, Cl, Br and I, provided that R 1 and R 2 can be linked to one another via a covalent bond; each of Q 1 and Q 2 is independently selected from C, CH, N and CR 3 ; each of X and Z is independently selected from C, S, CH 2 , N, P and elements of Group 4 of the Periodic Table; Y is O or OH; k is 0, 1, or 2; l is 0, 1, or 2; m is 1 to 3; and R 3 is any of the entities listed for R 1 ; to produce an effluent comprising an oxidized hydrocarbon product and unreacted imide catalyst of formula (I); (b) treating the effluent with an aqueous solution of a base to produce an aqueous phase comprising at least part of the unreacted imide catalyst of formula (I) and an organic phase comprising the oxidized hydrocarbon product; and (c) recovering the organic phase.