Process for preparing bisphenols

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):

wherein R 1 to R 4 independently at each occurrence represent a hydrogen or an aliphatic radical, and “a” and “b” are integers independently having values from 0 to 3.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkylating agent having the functionality of two is a cycloalkanone selected from the group consisting of substituted and unsubstituted tricyclo[5.2.1.0 2,6 ] decanones, cyclohexanone, 4-perhydrocumyl cyclohexanone, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanone, and mixtures of the foregoing cycloalkanones.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heteropolyacid compound comprises a compound of formula (II):

(M 1 ) 3 (M 2 )(M 3 ) 12 O 40 .yH 2 O   (II);

wherein M 1 comprises hydrogen, or an alkali metal selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium; M 2 comprises phosphorus or silicon, M 3 comprises tungsten or molybdenum, and “y” is an integer having a value 0 to 10.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heteropolyacid compound comprises at least one heteropolyacid metal salt selected from the group consisting of lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, and cesium salts, or mixtures of the foregoing salts.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heteropolyacid compound comprises at least one heteropolyacid selected from the group consisting of silicotungstic acid, silicomolybdic acid, phosphotungstic acid, and phosphomolybdic acid.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heteropolyacid compound comprises a compound of formula (III):

(M 4 )(M 5 )(M 6 ) 12 O 40 .yH 2 O   (III);

wherein M 4 comprises a Group III element; M 5 comprises phosphorus or silicon, M 6 comprises tungsten or molybdenum, and “y” is an integer having a value 0 to 10.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the heteropolyacid compound is phosphotungstic acid.

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the clay is selected from the group consisting of:

Al 4 Si 8 O 20 (OH) 4 , (M 7 ) n x/n .aH2O (Al 4-x Mg x ) Si 8 O 20 OH 4 ;

(M 7 ) n x/n .aH2O Al 4 (Si 8-x .Al x ) O 20 OH 4 ; K 2 Al 4 (Si 6 Al 2 ) O 20 OH 4 ;

Mg 6 Si 8 O 20 OH 4 ; (M 7 ) n x/n .aH2O (Mg 6-x Li x ) Si 8 O 20 (OH) 4 ;

(M 7 ) n x/n .aH2O Mg 6 (Si 8-x Al x ) O 20 OH 4 and K 2 Mg 6 Si 6 Al 2 OH 4 ;

wherein M 7 comprises an alkali metal or an alkaline earth metal cation, and a, x, y, and n are integers.

9. The process of claim 8 , wherein M 7 is selected from the group consisting of sodium or lithium.

10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the clay is montmorillonite.

11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the functionalized metal oxide catalyst consists essentially of structural units of the formulae,

wherein M 8 comprises a metal oxide of a Group III element, a Group IV element, or combinations of the foregoing; “B” and “C” independently comprise spacer groups selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic radical, a cycloaliphatic radical and an aromatic radical; and R 5 and R 6 independently comprise an alkali metal, a hydrogen, or an aliphatic radical.

12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the Group III element is selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, gallium, and combinations of the foregoing Group III elements.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein the Group IV element is selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, zirconium, and combination of the foregoing Group IV elements.

14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic hydroxy compound is selected from the group consisting of phenol, ortho-cresol, meta-cresol, para-cresol, 2,6-xylenol, and mixtures of the foregoing aromatic hydroxy compounds.

15. The process of claim 1 , wherein reacting the aromatic hydroxy compound and the alkylating agent having the functionality of two in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a batch, a semi-batch, or a continuous mode.

16. The process of claim 1 , wherein reacting the aromatic hydroxy compound with the alkylating agent having the functionality of two in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a reaction temperature from 40° C. to 120° C.

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein reacting the aromatic hydroxy compound with the alkylating agent having the functionality of two in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a mole ratio of the aromatic hydroxy compound to the carbonyl compound of 2:1 to 40:1.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst system is 0.5 weight percent to 10 weight percent of an overall weight of the reaction mixture.

19. A process for making polycarbonate comprising reacting the aromatic bisphenols prepared according to the process of claim 1 with a carbonate precursor.

20. A process for preparing 1,1-bis(3-methyl-4-hyxdroxyphenyl)cyclohexane, wherein the method comprises reacting cyclohexanone with ortho-cresol 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.

21. The process of claim 20 , wherein reacting the cyclohexanone with the ortho-cresol in the presence of the catalyst system is at a temperature from 40° C. to 120° C.

22. The process of claim 20 , wherein reacting the cyclohexanone with the ortho-cresol in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a mole ratio of ortho-cresol to cyclohexanone of 2:1 to 40:1.

23. The process of claim 20 , wherein the catalyst system is 0.5 weight percent to 10 weight percent of an overall weight of the reaction mixture.

24. 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 comprises a functionalized metal oxide catalyst; and wherein the alkylating agent having the functionality of two comprises at least one functional group selected from the group consisting of a cyclopropyl ring, a cyclobutyl ring, an ethylenic group, an aliphatic hydroxy group, and a cycloaliphatic hydroxy group.

25. The process of claim 24 , wherein the alkylating agent having the functionality of two comprises a terpene compound.

26. The process of claim 25 , wherein the terpene compound is selected from the group consisting of alpha-terpinene, alpha-terpinol, alpha-pinene, limonene, gamma-terpinene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, sabinene, 2- carene, 3-carene and mixtures of the foregoing terpene compounds.

27. The process of claim 25 , wherein the functionalized metal oxide catalyst consists essentially of structural units of the formulae,

wherein M 8 comprises a metal oxide of a Group III element, a Group IV element, or combinations of the foregoing; “B” and “C” independently comprise spacer groups selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic radical, a cycloaliphatic radical and an aromatic radical; and R 5 and R 6 independently comprise an alkali metal, a hydrogen, or an aliphatic radical.

28. The process of claim 27 , wherein the Group III element is selected from the group consisting of boron, aluminum, gallium, and combinations of the foregoing Group III elements.

29. The process of claim 27 , wherein the Group IV element is selected from the group consisting of silicon, titanium, zirconium, and combination of the foregoing Group IV elements.

30. The process of claim 24 , wherein the aromatic hydroxy compound is selected from the group consisting of phenol, ortho-cresol, meta-cresol, para-cresol, 2,6-xylenol, and mixtures of the foregoing aromatic hydroxy compounds.

31. The process of claim 24 , wherein reacting the aromatic hydroxy compound and the alkylating agent having the functionality of two in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a batch, a semi-batch, or a continuous mode.

32. The process of claim 24 , wherein reacting the aromatic hydroxy compound with the alkylating agent having the functionality of two in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a reaction temperature from 40° C. to 120° C.

33. The process of claim 24 , wherein reacting the aromatic hydroxy compound with the alkylating agent having the functionality of two in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a mole ratio of the aromatic hydroxy compound to the carbonyl compound of 2:1 to 40:1.

34. The process of claim 24 , wherein the catalyst system is 0.5 weight percent to 10 weight percent of an overall weight of the reaction mixture.

35. A process for making polycarbonate comprising reacting the aromatic bisphenols prepared according to the process of claim 24 with a carbonate precursor.

36. A process for preparing 1,3- and 2,8-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)menthane, wherein the method comprises reacting limonene with phenol in the presence of a catalyst system, wherein the catalyst system comprises a functionalized metal oxide catalyst.

37. The process of claim 36 , wherein reacting the limonene with the phenol in the presence of the catalyst system is at a temperature from 40° C. to 120° C.

38. The process of claim 36 , wherein reacting the limonene with the phenol in the presence of the catalyst system comprises a ratio of phenol to limonene of 2:1 to 40:1.

39. The process of claim 36 , wherein the catalyst system is 0.5 weight percent to 10 weight percent of an overall weight of the reaction mixture.