Patent ID: 8658836

Claim:
A process for oxidizing cyclohexylbenzene to produce a hydroperoxide thereof, the process comprising contacting a reaction medium comprising cyclohexylbenzene 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 can be any of the entities listed for R 1 ; and wherein said contacting is conducted under conditions such as to maintain the concentration of water in the reaction medium below 50 ppm by weight and the concentration of organic acids in the reaction medium below 50 ppm by weight.