Polycarbonate made from ketone containing cyclic compounds

1 . A polycarbonate comprising structural units derived from a compound comprising a ketone functionality and at least two fused rings, A and B wherein ring A is a saturated ring or ring system having 5 to 7 cyclic carbons and substituted with a ketone functionality and ring B is a saturated ring having 5 to 6 cyclic carbons wherein said ketone is prepare by a method comprising:

reacting a mixture comprising a catalyst, a reactant compound and an amount of water greater than or equal to 3 weight percent based on the weight of the reactant compound; wherein said catalyst comprises nickel and base and said reactant compound comprises at least two fused rings, A and B wherein ring A is a saturated ring or ring system having 5 to 7 cyclic carbons and substituted with a hydroxyl functionality and ring B is a non-aromatic unsaturated ring having 5 to 6 cyclic carbons; and

converting the hydroxyl functionality of ring A to a ketone functionality and the non-aromatic unsaturated ring B to a saturated ring.

2 . The polycarbonate of claim 1 , wherein Ring A is a bicyclo ring system containing 7 cyclic carbons.

3 . The polycarbonate of claim 1 , wherein Ring A and Ring B together from a bicyclo ring system.

4 . The polycarbonate of claim 1 wherein ring A is substituted with one or more alkyl substituents having up to 4 carbons.

5 . The polycarbonate of claim 1 wherein ring B is substituted with one or more alkyl substituents having up to 4 carbons.

6 . The polycarbonate of claim 1 , wherein the compound comprising a ketone functionality and at least two fused rings is selected from the group consisting of:

7 . A polycyclic bisphenol produced by the condensation of:

a polycyclic ketone comprising a ketone functionality and at least two fused rings, A and B wherein ring A is a saturated ring or ring system having 5 to 7 cyclic carbons and substituted with a ketone functionality and ring B is a saturated ring having 5 to 6 cyclic carbons; and

a phenolic compound.

8 . A polycarbonate comprising structural units derived from the polycyclic bisphenol of claim 7 .

9 . A linear polycarbonate made by condensing

phosgene, a bischloroformate of a diol or a combination thereof; and

the polycyclic bisphenol of claim 7 .

10 . A polycarbonate made by an ester interchange reaction of:

the polycyclic bisphenol of claim 7; and

a diaryl carbonate

11 . A polyester comprising structural units prepared by the condensation of the polycyclic bisphenol of claim 7 with an organic dicarboxylic acid or a dicarboxylic acid diester.