Nippon Chemicals Co., Ltd.

Hisayuki Suzuki

Takamichi Watanabe

Yuta Yabe

A method for the production of an .alpha.-aryl-alkanoic acid represented by the general formula II: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.3 stands for a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group and Ar for an aromatic residue, characterized by subjecting an .alpha.-haloalkyl-aryl ketal represented by the general formula I: ##STR2## wherein Ar has the same meaning as defined above, R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently stand for an alkyl group and embrace the case wherein they jointly form a cyclic acetal, R.sup.3 has the same meaning as defined above, and X stands for a halogen atom to a rearrangement reaction in the presence of at least one zinc compound selected from the group consisting of oxide, hydroxide, sulfide, carbonate, and basic carbonate of zinc and subsequently hydrolyzing the product of said rearrangement reaction.

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Mobara, Japan

Hisayuki Suzuki