Methanol was removed by distillation from a mixture of 11.7 g (77 mmol) 4-hydroxybenzoic acid methyl ester, 200 ml N-methylpyrrolidone, and I3.8 g (77 mmol) 30% sodium methylate solution in methanol, then 0.6 g tetrabutylammonium iodide and 20.0 g (92 mmol) 4-(1,1,3-trimethyl-2-cyclohexyl)-2-butyl chloride were added. This was followed by heating with stirring for 8 hours to 160° C. After cooling to room temperature, the reacted solution was filtered off from the sodium chloride formed, concentrated to dryness under reduced pressure, the evaporation residue was taken up in methylene chloride, washed with water, dried with sodium sulfate and, after concentration by evaporation, chromatographed on silica gel (Merck) (eluent: methylene chloride/toluene 7:3). 13.9 g (54% of the theoretical) of 4-(4-(1,1,3-trimethyl-2-cyclohexyl)-butoxy)-benzoic acid methyl ester were obtained in the form of a colorless oil having a refractive index at 20° C. of 1.5197.
