Continuous catalyst-free aromatization of γ-terpinene using air as an oxidant

The dehydrogenation of γ-terpinene was studied under catalyst- and solvent-free reaction conditions using air as an oxidant. The dehydrogenation affords p -cymene in good yields in a continuous flow reaction setup. The initial optimization of the reaction parameters showed that the dehydrogenation is highly dependent on the vapour/liquid phase equilibrium and the availability of oxygen in the vapour phase. Dehydrogenation of γ-terpinene to p -cymene was achieved in the absence of solvents and catalysts by using air as an oxidant.