Oxidation of phenols in the presence of molecular sieves

Polyphenylene oxides are prepared by reacting in the presence of a molecular sieve (A) a phenol of formula where Q is an aliphatic hydrocarbon or halohydrocarbon radical, and Q1 is a hydrocarbon radical, a halohydrocarbon radical, a hydrocarbonoxy radical, a halohydrocarbonoxy radical or a halogen atom, no radical having a tertiary a -carbon atom and any halogen-substituted radical having at least 2 carbon atoms between the halogen and the phenol nucleus, with (B) oxygen and (C) a copper-amine complex. In examples polymers are prepared by reacting 2,6-dimethyl phenol with oxygen and a complex of cuprous bromide and diethylamine, in toluene and in the presence of sodium zeolites; in one example the reactants are circulated through a fixed bed of molecular sieves.