The electrolytic synthesis of poly(2,6-dimethyl-!A-phenylene0xide) (PPO), 3,3',5,5'-tetramethyl-4,4'-diphenoquinone (TMDPQ), and 2,2',6,6'-tetramethyl-1, l '-biphenol (TMBP) from 2,6-dimethytphenol in various electrolytic solutions was carried out. They were Characterized by chemical (using IR absorption spectroscopy, 1H-and~3C-NMR technique, tc.) and electrochemical means. The results were compared with those obtained for the oxidative coupling of 2,6-dimethylphenol in the presence of oxygen using a copper-amine complex as the catalyst. The electrolysis conditions favorable for the preparation ofthe above compounds were as follows. The electrolysis at a Pt electrode in basic electrolytic solutions uch as NaOH-containing methanol and (C2Hs)2NH-containing acetonitrile sOlutions is preferable for PPO preparation, while neutral acetonitrile solution is suitable for the preparation ofTMDPQ and TMBP. In addition on the basis of the results obtained, the possible mechanism ofthe anodic oxidation of 2,6-dimethylphenol is discussed. A number of papers have reported the oxidative coup-ling of phenolic ompounds since poly(2,6-dimethyl-l,4-phenyleneoxide) was first prepared by Hay et at. (1, 2) from 2,6-dimethylphenol in the presence of oxygen using a copper.amine complex as the catalyst. The previ-
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Oyama et al. (1987) studied this question.