The introduction of a hydroxyl function into phenol to give hydroquinone and catechol can be achieved in high yields by the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with alkenylphenols. These alkenylphenols are obtained by thermolysis of bisphenol A, alkylation of phenol with cyclopentadiene followed by isomerization, and alkylation of phenol with mesityl oxide followed by thermolysis to give 4-isopropenylphenol, 2-and 4-(cyclopenten-l-yl)phenol, and 2,2,4-trimethyl-l,2-chromene, respectively.

No abstract

No abstract