Improved yields in the acid catalyzed addition of phenols and phenyl ethers to oleic acid

Phenols may be added to oleic acid in methanesulfonic acid solution to give the corresponding hydroxyphenylstearates in good yield. With phenol not only is the yield (ca 80%) better than that reported previously using other reagents but considerably less color is developed also. Surprisingly good yields (35–60%) were obtained with such complex phenols asp‐t‐butylcatechol and 2‐naphthol.