PRODUCTION OF MONOCYCLIC AND POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC CARBOXYLIC ACID OR DERIVATIVE THEREOF

PURPOSE:To improve the purity without requiring a purification step, by oxidizing a monocylic and polycyclic aromatic compound having an alkyl group in the side chain thereof with molecular oxygen, etc., in the liquid phase in the presence of a catalyst having remarkably low ratio of manganese to metallic cobalt to give the titled corresponding compound. corresponding compound. CONSTITUTION:A monocyclic and polycyclic aromatic compound having an alkyl group in the side chain thereof is oxidized with molecular oxygen or a gas containing molecular oxygen in the presence of a cobalt-manganese- bromine compound based catalyst containing metallic manganese and metallic cobalt at =5X10 weight ratio of the metallic manganese to the metallic cobalt at a catalyst in the liquid phase in or without a lower aliphatic carboxylic acid solvent to afford the aimed corresponding compound. The amount of the cobalt compound to be used in the above-mentioned catalyst is within 0.01-0.8%, preferably 0.05-0.3% range expressed in terms of metallic cobalt based on the raw material or reaction solvent. Since cobalt bromide contains the cobalt component at the same time, it is advantageously used as the bromine compound.