Functionalized silicone resins, methods for their preparation, and use as catalysts

1. A method of producing an aromatic bisphenol, wherein said method comprises reacting a carbonyl compound with an aromatic hydroxy compound in the presence of a functionalized silicone resin catalyst; wherein said functionalized silicone resin catalyst comprises structural units of the formula:

and

at least one structural unit selected from the group consisting of:

wherein the structural unit of formula (V), when present in the silicone resin without the structural unit of formula (IV), is present in an amount from 36.3 to 38.7 weight percent of overall weight of the silicone resin; and wherein “A” is spacer group that comprises a C 2 to C 50 alkylene group; “B” and “C” are spacer groups that independently comprise a C 2 to C 20 alkylene group; R 1 , R 3 , and R 6 independently comprise OH, alkyl groups, or alkoxy groups; R 7 comprises methoxy groups or ethoxy groups; and R 2 and R 4 independently comprise hydrogen, alkali metal, or alkyl groups.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said carbonyl compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, diethyl ketone, benzyl, acetyl acetone, methyl isopropyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, acetophenone, ethyl phenyl ketone, cyclohexanone, cyclopentanone, benzophenone, fluorenone, indanone, anthraquinone, 4-hydroxyacetophenone, 4,4′-dihydroxybenzophenone, acenaphthenequinone, quinone, benzoylacetone diacetyl, fluorenone, bicyclo [2.2.1]heptan-2-one, and 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexanone.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said aromatic hydroxy compound is at least one selected from the group consisting of phenol, 2-cresol, 3-cresol, 4-cresol, 2-chlorophenol, 3-chlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol, 2-tert-butylphenol, 2,4-dimethylphenol, 2-ethyl-6-methylphenol, 2-bromophenol, 2-fluorophenol, 2-phenoxyphenol, 3-methoxyphenol, 2,3 ,6-trimethylphenol, 2,3,5 ,6-tetramethylphenol, 2,6-xylenol, 2,6-dichlorophenol, 3,5 -diethylphenol, 2-benzylphenol, 2,6-di- tertbutylphenol, 2-phenylphenol, 1-naphthol, and 2-naphthol.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said carbonyl compound and said aromatic hydroxy compound are reacted in a batch or a continuous process.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said continuous process comprises passing a feed-stream comprising said carbonyl compound and said aromatic hydroxy compound through at least one reactor packed with a fixed bed of said functionalized silicone resin catalyst.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein said continuous process comprises introducing said carbonyl compound in a staged addition to at least one reactor.

7. A method of making a polycarbonate from the bisphenol prepared in accordance with the method of claim 1 .

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said aromatic bisphenol comprises bisphenol A or 1,1-bis(4-hydroxy-2-methylphenyl)cyclohexane.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein “A” is an alkylene group selected from the group consisting of —(CH 2 ) 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 8 —, and —CH 2 CH 2 —(C 6 H 4 )—CH 2 CH 2 —.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a structural unit having a formula:

wherein M 2 comprises a Group IV element selected from the group consisting of titanium, silicon, and zirconium, and R 5 comprises hydrogen or an alkyl group.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein “B” and “C” are each independently an alkylene group selected from the group consisting of —(CH 2 ) 2 —, —(CH 2 ) 3 —, —(C 6 H 4 )CH 2 —, and —C 6 H 4 —.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the structural unit of formula (V) is derived from a polydimethoxysiloxane or a polydiethoxysiloxane.

13. A method of producing an aromatic bisphenol, wherein said method comprises reacting a carbonyl compound with an aromatic hydroxy compound in the presence of a functionalized silicone resin catalyst; wherein said functionalized silicone resin catalyst comprises structural units of the formula:

wherein the structural unit of formula

is present in the silicone resin in an amount from 36.3 to 38.7 weight percent of overall weight of the silicone resin; and wherein “B” and “C” are spacer groups that independently comprise a C 2 to C 20 alkylene group; R 1 and R 3 independently comprise OH, alkyl groups, or alkoxy groups; R 7 comprises methoxy groups or ethoxy groups; and R 2 and R 4 independently comprise hydrogen, alkali metal, or alkyl groups.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the functionalized silicone resin catalyst further comprises structural units of the formula:

wherein “A” is a spacer group that comprises a C 2 to C 50 alkylene group; and R 6 independently comprise OH, alkyl groups, or alkoxy groups.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the structural unit of formula

is derived from a polydimethoxysiloxane or a polydiethoxysiloxane.