Toyotama Perfumery Co., Ltd.

Masamichi Nishitani

Mitsuo Chiba

Hidemichi Fukawa

Ruriko Murakami

Disclosed are 3,7-dimethyl-4-oxo-7-octenoic acid and its alkyl esters which are intermediates for producing a fragrance, rosefuran and which are represented by: ##STR1## where R is H or a lower alkyl. The compounds [1] are obtained by reacting 2-methyl-3-alkoxycarbonylpropionic acid halide and 3-methyl-3-butenylmagnesium halide. The octenoic acid [1] is treated with acetic anhydride under heat in the presence of an acidic catalyst to give 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadien-4-olide. The olide is reduced in an ordinary manner to give rosefuran.

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Tokyo, Japan

Masamichi Nishitani