Formaldehyde condensations with phenol and its homologues. XV. The dinuclear monoalcohols

Six isomeric monoalcohols, believed to be intermediates in phenol—formaldehyde resin condensations, can be derived from oo′‐, op′‐ and pp′‐dihydroxydiphenylmethanes by treatment with formaldehyde. These have been prepared by methods that leave no doubt as to their structures. The general method of synthesis consisted in treating a brominated bromomethylphenol with a suitable phenolic ester. The resulting dinuclear ester was then hydrolysed to an acid which, after dehalogenation with Ni‐Al alloy in sodium hydroxide, was reduced with lithium aluminium hydride to the required alcohol.