Continuous catalyst-free aromatization of gamma-terpinene using air as an oxidant

The dehydrogenation of gamma-terpinene was studied under catalyst- and solvent-free reaction conditions using air as an oxidant. The dehydrogenation affords p-cymene in good yields in a continuous flow reaction setup. The initial optimization of the reaction parameters showed that the dehydrogenation is highly dependent on the vapour/liquid phase equilibrium and the availability of oxygen in the vapour phase.