Abstract: A process for the separation and purification of reaction product from the oxidation of hydrocarbyl aromatic compounds to hydrocarbyl aromatic hydroperoxides is provided comprising (1) extracting the oxidation effluent with an aqueous alcoholic base, (2) contacting the aqueous phase thus produced with a paraffin hydrocarbon solvent to remove residual unoxidized hydrocarbyl aromatic, (3) extracting the aqueous hydrocarbyl aromatic hydroperoxide phase remaining with an aromatic solvent, and (4) washing of the hydroperoxide-containing aromatic phase with water to remove base. The resulting hydroperoxide phase substantially free of unoxidized hydrocarbyl aromatic can be subjected to acid-catalyzed cleavage to produce hydroxy aromatic and carbonyl compound products without encountering the problem of azeotrope formation between unoxidized hydrocarbyl aromatic reactant with cleavage product.

Abstract: Vicinal epoxides having 2 to 30 carbon atoms per molecule are prepared by heating the corresponding carbonate esters having the general formula ##STR1## in the presence of a catalytic amount of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphonium halides, sulfonium halides, sulfoxonium halides and metal salts selected from the group consisting of the halides, sulfates and carboxylates having 1 to 20 carbon atoms of iron, tin, manganese and zinc.

Abstract: Vicinal epoxides having 2 to 30 carbon atoms per molecule are prepared by heating the corresponding carbonate esters having the general formula ##STR1## in the presence of a catalytic amount of a catalyst selected from the group consisting of phosphonium halides, sulfonium halides, sulfoxonium halides and metal salts selected from the group consisting of the halides, sulfates and carboxylates having 1 to 20 carbon atoms of iron, tin, manganese and zinc.