Tetrahedron Letters, 1983, 24(33), 3439-3442 (http://www.angelfire.lycos.com/scifi2/lego/journals/11.djvu)
(http://www.angelfire.lycos.com/scifi2/lego/journals/11.djvu) a method for the preparation of P2Pol from toluene and ethanol is described.
Alkylbenzene (10 mM) and acetone (10 mM) were irradiated in a neutral alcohol medium (50 mM) at [lambda] > 280 nm3 to yield mainly alkylbenzene carbinol products and smaller amounts of alkylbenzene and alcohol dimers accomapanied by their acetone photoaddition adducts.4.
3. Irridiation were carried out in an immersion well assembly with pyrex absorption sleeve ([lambda] > 280 nm) and a 450 Watt medium pressure mercury-vapor lamp.
4. Products were identified and measured by GC and GCMS. Alkylbenzenes were irridiated for 24 hours at room temperature. Control experiments indicate that these reactions do not proceed in the absence of light.
For the P2Pol the reaction would read like this:
Toluene (10 mM, 0,921 g, 1,1 ml) and acetone (10 mM, 0,581 g, 0,7 ml) were irridiated in a neutral ethanol medium (50 mM, 2,304 g, 2,9 ml) at [lambda] > 280 nm for 24 h to yield P2Pol (5,3 mM, 0,722 g, 0,726 ml).
Distillation of the reaction mixture would yield P2Pol as the boiling points of toluene, ethanol, acetone and the products are not too close. Hopefully this reaction can bee scaled up, otherwise it would be pretty useless.