PHENETHYL ALCOHOL DERIVATIVE AND RECORDING MATERIAL PRODUCED BY USING THE DERIVATIVE

PURPOSE:To provide a phenethyl alcohol derivative useful as a storage stabilizer for developed color image of a heat-sensitive recording material and especially having improved plasticizer resistance. CONSTITUTION:The compound of formula I [Y is group of formula II or formula III; R is H, lower alkyl or (substituted)aralkyl; R to R are halogen, NO2, lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkenyl or lower alkenyloxy; R to R are H or lower alkyl; Z is SO2, CO, C(CH3)2, S or O; m, n and p are 0-4], e.g. 2-(4- hydroxydiphenylsulfon-4-yloxy)-1-phenylethanol. The compound can be produced by reacting a styrene oxide derivative of formula IV with a compound of formula V in an organic solvent in the presence of a t-amine catalyst at 60-180 deg.C. A compound of formula I wherein Y is group of formula II can be produced in high selectivity by using a phenacyl halide derivative of formula VI as a raw material in place of the styrene oxide derivative of formula IV and reacting in two stages.