Patent ID: 8921614

Claim:
A method for selective deoxygenation of hydroxybenzaldehydes, comprising: condensing syringaldehyde (3,5-dimethoxy-4-hydroxybenzaldehyde) and a functionalized phenylacetic acid with at least one first base and at least one anhydride to produce an arylcinnamic acid; decarboxylating of said arylcinnamic acid with at least one decarboxylation catalyst at temperatures ranging from about 30° C. to about 200° C. or thermally from about 100° C. to about 350° C. to produce first stilbene(s); hydrodeoxygenating said stilbene(s) by conversion to sulfonate(s) in the presence of at least one second base in water or at least one organic solvent to yield sulfonate(s); reducing said sulfonate(s) with a reductive elimination catalyst to produce a second stilbene(s); and reacting said second stilbene(s) with a hydrolyzing agent to generate a polyphenol.