Method of preparing phenolic antioxidants by condensing active methylene compounds with 3,5-di-tert alkyl-4-hydroxybenzylpyridinium salts

Claim 1

A process of producing a phenolic antioxidant comprising reacting in solution, in the presence of a base, a combination comprised of a pyridinium salt having the structure ##SPC3## and an active methylene compound having the structure ##EQU1## wherein R is a tertiary alkyl radical having 4 to 8 carbon atoms, R.sup. 1 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl and ethyl and X is a halogen radical selected from the group consisting of chloro, bromo and iodo, wherein R.sup. 5 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and wherein R.sup. 2 and R.sup. 3 are selected from the group consisting of --COOR.sup. 4, --COR.sup. 4, --CN and --NO.sub. 2, wherein R.sup. 4 is an alkyl radical containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, with the proviso that when R.sup. 2 is NO.sub. 2, R.sup. 3 can also be hydrogen or an alkyl radical containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, wherein the reaction temperature is from 0° C. to the boiling point of the solvent and wherein the molar ratio of I to II is from 2.5/1 to 1/10.