Abstract: Rod-shaped dendrimers having a plurality of dendritic branches emanating from an essentially linear core are prepared by first reacting a linear polyfunctional core compound such as a polyethyleneimine with a first dendritic branching reactant such as an ester of an unsaturated carboxylic acid, e.g., methyl acrylate, and then successively reacting the resulting product with a second dendritic branching reactant such as ethylenediamine and then with the first or another dendritic branching reactant.The rod-shaped dendrimers are useful in the production of molecular composites and as crystallinity modifiers for polymeric materials.

Abstract: A process is provided for the production of hydroxybenzyl alcohols, comprising condensing phenol with formaldehyde in an alkaline solution to form a mixture of ortho- and para-hydroxymethyl phenols, and solvent extracting unreacted phenol from the resulting alkaline hydroxybenzyl alcohol condensate solution. The phenol-reduced hydroxybenzyl alcohol condensate solution is particularly suited for treatment with excess caustic and subsequent oxidation of the resulting aqueous solution of ortho- and para-hydroxybenzyl alcohols-sodium salt to yield the corresponding ortho- and para-hydroxybenzaldehydes-sodium salt.