A solution of 4,4-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentanoic acid methyl ester (4.58 g, 15.3 mmol) in 100 mL of anhydrous tetrahydrofuran was cooled to 0° C. and treated dropwise with phenylmagnesium bromide (10 mL of a 3M solution in ether). Additional tetrahydrofuran (50 mL) was added to the reaction mixture followed by phenylmagnesium bromide (10.4 mL of a 3M solution in ether). The reaction was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 3 hours. The reaction was cooled to 0° C. and treated with phenylmagnesium bromide (10.2 mL of a 3M solution in ether). The reaction mixture was warmed to room temperature and stirred for 18 hours. The reaction mixture was cooled to 0° C. and treated with saturated aqueous NH4Cl solution (100 mL). The organic phase was collected and the aqueous phase was extracted with ethyl acetate (3×100 mL). The combined organic extracts were dried (MgSO4), filtered and concentrated. The residue was purified by chromatography (silica gel, 40% ethyl acetate/hexanes) to give the title compound (6.22 g, 96%) as a white solid.
