| Summary: | Dimethyl terephthalate, a diester monomer derived from petroleum-based resources, plays important role in the
production of polyester such as polyethylene terephthalate (PET), resins for polyester, fibres, and films as well as
engineering polymers. High demand on PET together with environmental concerns require to find alternative for
renewable monomers urgently whenever or wherever to substitute the exhausting crude oil-based monomers. A simple
and highly efficient method to prepare PET analogue monomer, methyl 2-[2-methoxy-4-[3-(2-methoxy-2-oxoethyl)]
thiopropyl]phenoxy acetate (4), from renewable eugenol is described. The key step involves successive Williamson
etherification, esterification, to be followed by thiol-ene reaction. Remarkably, it turned out that the thiol-ene reaction
has proven to be effective in the introduction of the ester group to the olefinic substrate without the use of solvent and
initiator leading to diester 4. The technique offered here comprises advantages i.e. excellent yields, mild reaction
condition, and easy to perform, thus, provide a sustainable alternative to synthesize diester from eugenol.
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