Scm Corporation

T L Ho

Zia U Din

Carlos G Cardenas

Sean G Traynor

Shing-Hou Liu

A process for making mixed 2- and 3-C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl-2-cyclopenten-1-ones from a corresponding alkylcyclopentadiene by epoxidation to the oxiranes, hydrolysis to the diols, dehydration of the diols and rearrangement of the resulting mixed alkylcyclopentenones. The resulting product can be used to make methylcyclopentenolone, a synthetic maple flavor.

Process for making alkyl cyclopentenones

A method for producing an alkyl substituted lactone including the steps of alkylating an unsaturated ketone with a C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 alkyl organometallic reagent such as a Grignard reagent or an alkali metal alkyl, to form an unsaturated alcohol, and oxidatively cleaving the unsaturated alcohol to form the lactone, and recovering the lactone.

Process for producing lactones from unsaturated carbonyl compounds

A process is provided for producing substituted 2-cyclopentenones represented by the general formula: ##STR1## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, and R.sup.5 are hydrogen or lower aliphatic hydrocarbyl groups. The process comprises treating a nitroalkane with a substituted acrylic acid ester in the presence of a base, followed by saponification, to yield a substituted 4-nitropentanoic acid which acid is then treated with strong acid under dehydrative conditions to yield the subject 2-cyclopentenone.

Producing substituted 2-cyclopentenones

A four-step process for producing (-)-dihydrochrysanthemolactone from 2-caren-4-one is disclosed. The four steps in order are methylating 2-caren-4-one, oxidizing, methylating the tautomeric mixture resulting from the oxidation, and finally lactonizing the single hydroxy acid resulting from the second methylation. Additionally, three novel intermediate compounds that are produced by the steps in the process are disclosed.

Preparation of (-)-dihydrochrysanthemolactone

A process for producing (+)-cis-homocaronic acid from 2-caren-4-ol, 2-caren-4-one, 3-caren-2-ol, or mixtures thereof is disclosed. The reactants are ozonized, the ozonides produced are treated with an oxidizing agent, and the (+)-cis-homocaronic acid is recovered. The oxidizing agent can be hydrogen peroxide in either a basic or an acid medium.

Synthesis of (+)-cis-homocaronic acid

A new process for synthesizing menthofuran is disclosed. Said process comprises epoxidizing isopulegol to form the new compound isopulegol epoxide. The epoxide is then oxidized to form isopulegone epoxide which can be cyclodehydrated to form menthofuran.

Growing community of inventors

Jacksonville, FL, United States of America

T L Ho