Abstract
The objective of this research is to investigate the possibility of producing phenol directly from a mixture of toluene and water by in-liquid plasma and to understand the process of converting toluene into phenol. Radio frequency (RF) in-liquid plasma was used to synthesize phenol from toluene. In addition, GAUSSIAN was used to predict the process of conversion and other products. In the proposed method of phenol production, OH radicals produced from water molecules by in-liquid plasma play a major role during the process of direct chemical reaction with toluene. The experimental results showed that phenol can be directly produced from toluene, and benzyl alcohol and formaldehyde were synthesized in the process.
