Patent ID: 7459588

Claim:
A method for producing an unsaturated vicinal diol compound represented by the formula (2): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are the same or different and each independently represent a hydrogen atom; a C1-C20 alkyl group which may be substituted with a halogen atom or atoms, a C1-C6 alkoxy group or groups, a C2-C7 alkoxycabonyl group or groups, a C6-C10 aryl group or groups, or a carboxyl group or groups; or a C6-C10 aryl group which may be substituted with a halogen atom or atoms, a C1-C6 alkoxy group or groups, a C6-C10 aryl group or groups, or a carboxyl group or groups, which comprises reacting an unsaturated epoxy compound represented by the formula (1): wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 are the same as defined above, with water in the presence of a silicate containing at least one element selected from a group 5 element and a group 6 element of the long periodic table as a constituent.