Abstract: Disclosed herein are (1) a solvent of a chromogenic dye-precursor material for pressure-sensitive recording paper, which solvent comprises a diarylalkanes containing not less than 80% by weight of a mixture of 1-tolyl-2-phenylpropane and 1,2-ditolylethane, obtained by coupling ethylbenzene and xylene by side-chain dehydrogenation, (2) the pressure-sensitive recording paper sheet prepared by using the solvent and (3) a process for producing the solvent.