Oligomers of Phenolic-Type Resin Derived from the Condensation of Phenol with Benzyl Chloride

The direct condensation of phenol with benzyl chloride in the absence of a catalyst at high temperatures produced a light-brown viscous oil. A sample was analyzed by NMR, HPLC-ESI mass spectrometry and MALDI-TOF revealing that it is composed of a complex mixture of different low molecular weight oligomers of the phenolic-type resin. While a good number of the peaks could be assigned to specific structures, not all of the peaks could be identified.