A coupled oxidative carbonylation of bisphenol-A and phenol was investigated using a redox catalytic system of palladium acetate and cerium acetate as a novel scheme for a direct synthesis of phenylcarbotiate-ended polycarbonate precursors amenable to polycondensation in a current phosgene-free polycarbonate process. Reaction variables such as solvents, bases and organic co-catalysts were examined in our novel scheme. Removal of water co-produced with desired products and adjustment of the reactants molar ratio of phenol to bisphenol-A appeared to be most critical for highly selective formation of the desired phenylcarbonate-ended precursors in one-step. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.