Methods for increasing the mean particle size of 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidines

1. A method for increasing a mean particle size of a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine, the method comprising:

forming a mixture of a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine having a mean particle size less than 2 microns and a solvent composition comprising an organic solvent and water, wherein the solvent composition is capable of at least partially dissolving the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine;

forming an adduct of the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine; and

heating the mixture at a temperature and for a time effective to decompose the adduct to form a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine product having a mean particle size greater than 5 microns.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent composition further comprises an acid.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the solvent composition comprises up to about 1 weight percent of the acid relative to the combined weight of the organic solvent and water.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is an organic hydroxy compound, an organic ketone compound, an organic amide compound, an organic sulfoxide compound, an organic nitrile compound, an organic amine compound or a combination of at least one of the foregoing compounds.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the organic solvent is an aliphatic hydroxy compound, an aromatic hydroxy compound, an aliphatic ketone compound, an aliphatic amide compound, an aliphatic amine compound, an aromatic amine compound, an aliphatic sulfoxide compound or a combination of at least one of the foregoing compounds.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the organic solvent is methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, sec-butanol, phenol, acetone, butanone, formamide, methyl amine, isopropyl amine, dimethyl sulfoxide, aniline, or a combination of at least one of the foregoing compounds.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the organic solvent is completely miscible with water.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine product is 2-phenyl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine.

9. A 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine product produced in accordance with the method of claim 1 .

10. The 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine product of claim 9 , having a mean particle size of greater than 5 microns.

11. A method for increasing a mean particle size of a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine compound, the method comprising:

contacting the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine compound having a mean particle size less than 2 microns with a first solvent composition comprising an organic solvent, wherein the solvent composition is capable of at least partly dissolving the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine to form a mixture comprising an adduct of 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine; and

contacting the mixture with a second solvent comprising water at a temperature and for a time effective to form a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine product having a mean particle size greater than 5 microns.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first solvent is completely miscible with the second solvent.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the organic solvent is an organic hydroxy compound, an organic ketone, an organic amide, an organic sulfoxide, an organic nitrile, an organic amine, or a combination of at least one of the foregoing.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the organic solvent is an aliphatic hydroxy compound, an aromatic hydroxy compound, an aliphatic ketone, an aliphatic amide compound, an aliphatic amine compound, an aromatic amine compound, an aliphatic sulfoxide compound, or a combinations of at least one of the foregoing.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the organic solvent is methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, sec-butanol, phenol, acetone, butanone, formamide, methyl amine, isopropyl amine, formamide, dimethylsulfoxide, aniline, or a combination of at least one of the foregoing.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the mean particle size of the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine product is 5 microns to 100 microns.

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second solvent further comprises a water-miscible organic solvent.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the water-miscible organic solvent is a water-soluble aliphatic alcohol, an aliphatic amine, an aliphatic ketone, an aliphatic amide, an aliphatic nitriles, or a combinations of at least one of the foregoing.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second solvent further comprises an acid.

20. A method of making a polycarbonate, the method comprising reacting a aromatic dihydroxy compound mixture comprising a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine with a carbonic acid derivative, wherein the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine has an average particle size of at least about 5 microns.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the aromatic dihydroxy compound mixture consists of 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine, and the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine is 2-phenyl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine.

22. The method of claim 21 , wherein the carbonic acid derivative is selected from the group consisting of a carbonic acid dihalide, an unactivated carbonic acid diester, an activated carbonic acid diester, and combinations thereof.

23. A method for preparing a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine having a mean particle size greater than 5 microns, the method comprising:

reacting a phenolphthalein compound, with a primary hydrocarbyl amine compound, and an acid catalyst to form a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine compound;

forming a mixture comprising the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine compound and a solvent composition comprising at least one organic solvent and water;

forming an adduct of the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine compound; and

heating the mixture at a temperature and for a time sufficient to decompose the adduct and to form a 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine product having a mean particle size of greater than 5 microns, wherein the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine has a formula:

 wherein R 1 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen and a hydrocarbyl group, R 2 is selected from the group consisting of a hydrocarbyl group and a halogen; and “a” is 0-4.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the 2-hydrocarbyl-3,3-bis(hydroxyaryl)phthalimidine is 2-phenyl-3,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)phthalimidine.