Patent ID: 8653313

Claim:
A process for preparing a substituted or unsubstituted phenylcyclohexane of formula I comprising catalytically hydrogenating a substituted or unsubstituted biphenyl of formula II wherein: R 1 is hydrogen and R 2 is hydrogen or phenyl, or R 1 is a C 1 -C 4 -alkyl radical and R 2 is hydrogen, or R 1 and R 2 are identical and are each phenyl or the same C 1 -C 4 -alkyl radical, and wherein R 1 and R 2 are both simultaneously located in the respective ortho, meta or para positions of the two phenyl rings of the biphenyl of the formula II, in the presence of hydrogen and a catalyst comprising from 30 to 70% by weight of oxygen-comprising compounds of nickel, calculated as NiO, from 15 to 45% by weight of oxygen-comprising compounds of zirconium, calculated as ZrO 2 , from 5 to 30% by weight of oxygen-comprising compounds of copper, calculated as CuO, from 0.1 to 10% by weight of oxygen-comprising compounds of molybdenum, calculated as MoO 3 , and 0 to 10% by weight of further components, and wherein the figures in % by weight are based on a dry, unreduced catalyst.