Cumene Process : preparation of phenol

Developed in the 1940s and currently responsible for most industrial phenol production this process involves isopropylbenzene—commonly known as cumene. Treatment of cumene with oxygen in air generates 2-hydroperoxypropan-2-ylbenzene (cumene hydroperoxide) through a radical pathway. When hydrolyzed in acidic medium the peroxide intermediate produces phenol and acetone, which are both valuable chemical products.