An unprecedented and sustainable route to synthesize pyromellitic acid (PMA), a monomer of polyimide, with bio-derived pinacol and diethyl maleate was developed.
reaction of Wittig reagents with elemental selenium gave the corresponding selenoaldehydes which further reacted with other Wittig reagents to give the corresponding dimeric olefins in good yields. The selenoaldehydesformed afforded corresponding adducts by the reaction with dienes. These selenoaldehydes obtained by retro Diels–Alder reaction were also found to react with Wittig reagents to give the corresponding