US 7,321,069 B2
Process for preparing bisphenols
Gurram Kishan, Bangalore (India); Ramesh Krishnamurti, Bangalore (India); Kapila Debjani, Bangalore (India); Arakali Radhakrishna Srinivasarao, Bangalore (India); and Jan-Pleun Lens, Breda (Netherlands)
Assigned to General Electric Company, Schenectady, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Dec. 17, 2004, as Appl. No. 11/15,183.
Prior Publication US 2006/0135825 A1, Jun. 22, 2006
Int. Cl. C07C 39/12 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 568—727 39 Claims
 
1. A process for preparing aromatic bisphenols, the process comprising:
reacting an aromatic hydroxy compound with an alkylating agent having a functionality of two in the presence of a catalyst system, wherein the catalyst system is selected from the group consisting of a heteropolyacid compound, a clay, and a functionalized metal oxide catalyst, and wherein the alkylating agent having the functionality of two comprises a carbonyl compound of formula (I):

OG Complex Work Unit Drawing
wherein R1 to R4 independently at each occurrence represent a hydrogen or an aliphatic radical, and “a” and “b” are integers independently having values from 0 to 3.