Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for the preparation of phenols, in which an aryldiazonium salt, which is prepared by the diazotisation of a corresponding aromatic, primary amine, is decomposed by heating in a mixture containing hot water, a mineral acid and an organic solvent, wherein the organic solvent contains a ketone of formula (I) R1C(O)R2 in which R1 and R2 independently stand for (C1-C5)-alkyl and R1 and R2 together have at least four carbon atoms, wherein the aromatic primary amine is aniline or a substituted aniline, which contains at least one further substituent which is selected from: alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, halogen, haloalkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroaryl, carboxyl, cyan, alkoxyl and ester, and wherein substantially no copper salts are contained in the mixture.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of an aromatic carbonyl compound by the oxidation of a methyl group or methylene group bonded to the aromatic group in which the aromatic substance is reacted in the presence of an oxidizing agent and a sulphoxide, a sulphoxide being selected for the oxidation of a specific aromatic substance whose ionization potential, in terms of magnitude, differs from the ionization potential of the aromatic substance to be oxidized by a maximum of ±0.25 eV.

Abstract: The invention relates to a catalytic method for the production of aliphatic and aromatic carbonyl compounds with at least one aldehyde or ketone function, whereby said compounds can also comprise at least one aldehyde and ketone function. A starting material comprising at least one aliphatic- and/or aromatic-bonded functional group of formula (I), where R1?H, alkyl or aryl, X?H, or a group which may be substituted by the sulphinyl group of a sulphoxide during the catalytic reaction, n=a whole number from 1 to 8, is oxidised in the presence of a sulphoxide and/or a sulphide and the presence of iron salts or redox pairs of iron/copper or silver/copper salts, by means of an oxidising agent with a redox potential of E0>+2 V vs. NHE, whereby the sulphoxide or sulphide has a catalytic function.