Levulinic acid, easily obtained from cellulose, represents a fundamental chemical platform for a number of valuable building blocks. Among them, diphenolic acid and its esters (DPA and DPE) are valid candidates to replace Bisphenol A in polycarbonate and epoxy resin production processes. In this study, we report a one‐pot synthesis of alkyl DPEs in the presence of a heterogenous acid catalyst starting from levulinic acid, an alcohol and phenol as solvent‐reagent. The most interesting member of the DPE family, the ethyl 4,4‐bis(4‐hydroxyphenyl)pentanoate, is selectively obtained in a good yield in the presence of a commercially available heterogeneous acid catalyst, the Aquivion, which can be reused for at least six times without any noticeable loss in activity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.