The β-O-4 structure is the most abundant substructure in lignin. Lignin related polymers composed of only the β-O-4 structure were prepared using simple aromatic compounds as starting materials. Acetophenone derivatives were brominated, polymerized in the presence of K2CO3 and reduced with NaBH4 to give the lignin related polymers. These are linear polymers which resemble natural lignins in their structures, although they do not have a γ- ...