Patent ID: 8367858

Claim:
A method for preparing a compound containing a benzene ring, the compound having formula (I) the method comprising: (a) in a one-pot reaction, isomerizing one or more of cis,cis and cis,trans muconic acids or carboxylate derivatives thereof to form trans,trans muconic acid or carboxylate derivatives thereof, and contacting the trans,trans muconic acid or carboxylate derivatives thereof with one or more dienophiles under conditions such that the trans,trans muconic acid or carboxylate derivatives thereof and the one or more dienophiles form one or more cyclohexene ring containing compounds; and (b) contacting the one or more cyclohexene ring containing compounds with a dehydrogenation catalyst under conditions such that one or more compounds containing a benzene ring with carboxylate derivatives at the 1 and 4 position are formed; wherein said carboxylate derivatives contain group wherein R 1 is independently in each occurrence hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group optionally containing a heteroatom containing functional group wherein the hydrocarbyl group does not interfere in the formation of the cyclohexene ring containing compound; R 2 is independently in each occurrence hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group optionally containing a heteroatom containing functional group wherein the hydrocarbyl group does not interfere in the formation of the cyclohexene ring containing compound; and R 3 is independently in each occurrence hydrogen or a hydrocarbyl group optionally containing a heteroatom containing functional group wherein the hydrocarbyl group does not interfere in the formation of the cyclohexene ring containing compound; or R 2 and R 3 combine to form a cyclic ring that can contain heteroatoms; Z is independently in each occurrence an anion, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, halogen or nitrile; and b is independently in each occurrence 0, 1 or 2; with the proviso that b is 0 when Z is an anion, nitrile or halogen, that b is 1 when Z is oxygen or sulfur, and that b is 2 when Z in nitrogen.