Synthesis of Disecondary Aromatic Diols

The synthesis of disecondary aromatic diols (the main precursors for divinyl aromatic monomers) was carried out. The optimal conditions for the preparation of these diols by selective catalytic hydrogenation of aromatic diketones in the presence of Raney nickel and by reduction of these diketones by sodium borohydride were established. It was demonstrated that sodium borohydride reduction afforded the pure diols under mild and relatively safe conditions (in the systems of CHCl3–PEG400–H2O, at room temperature and atmospheric pressure).