WHEREIN N IS 1,2, OR 3 AND R IS AN ALKYL GROUP CONTAINING FROM 1 TO 4 CARBON ATOMS.

R-O-(CH2-CH2-O)N-CO-CH3

AN IMPROVED PROCESS FOR THE OXIDATION OF MONO AND DIALKYL PHENOLS WHICH COMPRISES THE COUPLING OF THE PHENOL IN THE PRESENCE OF AN OXYGEN CONTAINING GAS AND A CATALYST SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF MANGANOUS ACETYLACETONATE, MANGANOUS SILICYCLIDENEIMINE, CERIUM ACETYLACETONATE AND OTHER CHELATES OF MANGANOUS AND CEROUS IONS. THE PROCESS IS SOLVENT SPECIFIC AND HAS BEEN FOUND TO YEILD THE BEST RESULTS IN A SOLVENT WHICH IS A SATURATER ALIPHATIC MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOL CONTAINING FROM 2 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS, AN ESTER OF A SATURATED ALIFROM 4 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS, AN ESTER OF A SATURATED ALIPHATIC MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOL CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 10 CARBON ATOMS AND ACETIC, PROPIONIC, OR BUTYRIC ACID, ETHYLENE GLYCOL DIACETATE, DIETHYLENE GLYCOL DIACETATE, TRIETHYLENE GLYCOL DIACETATE, AND ETHER-ESTERS CHARACTERIZED BY THE FORMULA