Patent ID: 6534686
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: C07C

Abstract:
A method for forming bisphenols, comprising the step of reacting an aromatic hydroxy compound with a carbonyl containing compound in the presence of a catalyst composition, said catalyst composition comprising a polymeric resin component comprising a protic acid functionality, and a sulfur-protected mercaptan promoter component, wherein said promoter component has the following functionalized pyridine structure (II), wherein at least one member selected from the group consisting of R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 is a {(CH2)bâ€”Sâ€”R3} chain wherein b is between about 1 and about 11 and R3 is a sulfur-protecting functionality which is one member selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic functionality comprising at least about 4 carbon atoms, an ester functionality comprising between about 1 and about 11 carbon atoms, a carbonate functionality comprising between about 1 and about 11 carbon atoms, and a benzylic functionality comprising at least about 7 carbon atoms which is attached to the sulfur atom via the benzylic methylene carbon; and each of R4, R5, R6, R7, and R8 that is not a {(CH2)bâ€”Sâ€”R3} chain is independently one member selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen, a fluoride, a bromide, a chloride, an iodide, a vinyl group, a hydroxide, an alkoxide functionality comprising between about 1 and about 11 carbon atoms, an aryloxide functionality comprising at least about 6 carbon atoms, an aliphatic functionality comprising between about 1 and about 11 carbon atoms, an aromatic functionality comprising at least about 6 carbon atoms, a cycloaliphatic ring comprising at least about 5 carbon atoms, said cycloaliphatic ring being fused to the pyridine ring through an adjacent ring substituent cycloaromatic ring comprising at least about 6 carbon atoms, said cycloaromatic ring being fused to the pyridine ring through an adjacent ring substituent.