o-Cresol can be used as a starting material to synthesize:
- Carvacrol by alkylation reaction with propylene or isopropyl alcohol in the presence of Zr/mesoporous silica as a catalyst.[1]
- Polyisobutylenes by selective cationic polymerization of isobutylene using AlCl3 as a catalyst.[2]
- Poly(o-cresol) via oxidative coupling polymerization reaction in the presence of substituted pyridine/CuCl catalysts.[3]