New quaternary ammonium salts derived from cardanol and their use as phase transfer catalyst

Cardanol obtained from cashew nut shell liquid, a side product of the Brazilian industry, was the starting material for the synthesis of three new quaternary ammonium salts. High molecular weight quaternary nitrogen compounds generally possess high bactericidal activity. This report also presents the results of an investigation of the effectiveness of the new compounds as phase transfer catalysts in oxidation and alkylation reactions, whose yields were comparable to and some even greater than those obtained using the commercial catalyst Aliquatâ.