Scm Corporation

William J Ehmann

Walter E Johnson

Improved conversions of primary allylic and benzylic alcohols are obtained in an Oppenauer oxidation process, under Oppenauer oxidation conditions, by carrying out the oxidation employing furfural as the hydrogen acceptor. Primary alcohols to which the present invention relates are allylic alcohols substituted in at least the 2-position with a hydrocarbon radical and benzylic alcohols.

Process for the oxidation of primary allylic and benzylic alcohols

A beta-, gamma-unsaturated cycloalkenol contaminated with an acid-forming moiety is catalytically isomerized to a cycloalkanone in the presence of copper chromite catalyst and an insoluble base which suppresses the acid-forming moiety during the isomerization.

Process for isomerizing cycloalkenol to cycloalkanone

Improved conversions of 3-substituted and 3,3-disubstituted allyl alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes are obtained in an Oppenauer oxidation process, under Oppenauer oxidation conditions, by carrying out the oxidation employing furfural as the hydrogen acceptor. The invention is particularly applicable to the oxidation of geraniol and nerol to citral, which can be converted directly to pseudoionone without purification.

Process for the oxidation of primary allylic alcohols

In a process for the catalytic hydrogenation of unsaturated compounds, which process is characterizable as employing for the active catalyst a glyoxime complexed with cobalt and a base, referred to as a cobaloxime catalyst, the improvement for obtaining increased conversion and/or yield comprising employing a large excess of the glyoxime complexing agent in the hydrogenation reaction. The invention is particularly applicable to the selective reduction of certain .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated aliphatic ketones and is described with reference to the highly selective hydrogenation of carvone to dihydrocarvone.

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Orange Park, FL, United States of America

William J Ehmann