Triethylamine (TEA), pyridine, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, diethylhydroxylamine (DEHA), and Mg(OH)(2) were studied as catalysts (0.002 mol/mol bisphenol A) in transesterifications (4 h, 140-200degreesC, 80 down to 10 mmHg) of diphenyl carbonate with bisphenol A and subsequent condensations (2 h, 240-290degreesC, 10 to 3 mm Hg) of prepolymer to polycarbonate, each run at identical conditions. The catalysts were evaluated in terms of M (by GPC), thermal stability (thermogravimetry), and color (Hazen's scale) of the resulting polycarbonate. Bu4NOH was best, DEHA poorest, and TEA second poorest as catalyst. At 100-290degreesC, Bu4NOH was likely to yield (Hoffman's elimination) tributylamine, which also catalyzed the transesterification. With Bu4NOH as catalyst, the polycarbonate had M = 461200, lost 1% of mass at 480-500degreesC over M-range 2,000-26, 000, and exhibited a color 10-50degrees Hazen degrees over 0-7 h of reaction time.