Alkyl esters of 1-alkanoyl cycloalkanols and organoleptic uses thereof

Abstract

Described is a process for preparing several substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl acyl alkanoates defined according to the generic structure: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 taken together complete a cycloalkyl moiety or methyl, dimethyl or trimethyl substituted cycloalkyl moiety containing five or six carbon atoms in the ring and wherein R.sub.3 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 lower alkyl and R.sub.4 is methyl or hydrogen by reacting a compound having the generic structure: ##STR2## in an aqueous silver-ion containing solution having a weakly acidic pH at elevated temperatures. The compounds so produced are useful for their organoleptic properties in consumable materials, such as foodstuffs, foodstuff flavorants, chewing gums, chewing gum flavorants, toothpastes, toothpaste flavorants, medicinal products, medicinal product flavorants, chewing tobaccos, chewing tobacco flavorants, smoking tobaccos, smoking tobacco flavorants, perfume compositions, perfumed articles, such as cationic, anionic, nonionic and zwitterionic detergents, fabric softener compositions, drier-added fabric softener articles, textile sizing agents and optical brighteners for textiles as well as colognes.