| abstract |
Allylic styrene ether compounds of the formula: ##STR1## where R 1 is an optionally substituted allylic or propargyl hydrocarbon group, and R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 are independently H, C 1-6 hydrocarbon or C 1-6 hydrocarbonoxy groups, are prepared in a single pot reaction from relatively low cost materials. The method includes the steps of reacting a 4-acyloxystyrene of the formula ##STR2## where R is an acyl group, with at least one mole of a base which can readily saponify or hydrolyze the phenolic ester bond per mole of acyloxystyrene, and then adding to the reaction mixture an alloylating agent of the formula R 1 X, where R 1 is as previously defined and X is chloride, bromide, iodide, a sulfonic ester or a hydrocarbon sulfate group, to form said allylic styrene ether compound. The method may be employed to prepare mono-styryl functional compounds or di-styryl functional compounds such as 1,4-bis(4'-vinylphenoxy)but-2-ene. |