An inexpensive, stereoselective synthesis for nootkatone, tetrahydronootkatone, and their derivatives is disclosed utilizing ozonolysis. The starting materials used in the synthesis are inexpensive and the reactions are commercially feasible and amenable to scaling up. The principal starting material, ()--Pinene, is on the GRAS list (generally recognized as safe).

The invention relates to the production of acrolein and/or acrylic acid from glycerol, and more particularly to a method for continuous production of a stream comprising acrolein by dehydration of glycerol, comprising cycles of reaction and regeneration of a dehydration catalyst.

A process of forming compounds of formula I

##STR00001##

comprising the steps of addition of an amino compound H.sub.2NR to a compound of formula (II)

##STR00002##

followed by cyclization, isomerization and hydrolysis.

To provide a method for producing propionaldehyde directly from glycerol with high yield, gasified glycerol is brought into contact with a silica-type regular mesoporous body. More specifically, gasified glycerol is supplied to a catalyst layer containing a regular mesoporous body while heating the catalyst layer at a temperature ranging from 200 to 800 C. in such a manner that a W/F value can fall within the range from 0.001 to 1000 g.Math.min/ml inclusive wherein W represents an amount (g) of a catalyst and F represents a supply rate (ml/min) of supplied glycerol.

Disclosed is a method for recovering phenol and acetone from the cracking reaction product of bisphenol-A residue, by which economic feasibility and efficiency may be improved by utilizing a phenol/acetone purification process used for preparing bisphenol-A.

5,9-dimethyl-9-hydroxy-decen-4-al, having the formula (I) ##STR00001##

Efficient methods of producing L-threonic acid from L-xylonic acid are disclosed.

A method for manufacturing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene), including: reacting terephthaloyl chloride with diphenyl ether in a reaction solvent and in the presence of a Lewis acid, so as to obtain a product mixture including a 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene)-Lewis acid complex; contacting the product mixture with a protic solvent, so as to obtain a first phase containing the Lewis acid and a second phase containing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene); heating at least the second phase up to a maximum temperature, followed by cooling the second phase down to a separation temperature; subjecting at least the second phase to a solid/liquid separation step at the separation temperature, so as to recover solid 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene).

A method for manufacturing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene), including: reacting terephthaloyl chloride with diphenyl ether in a reaction solvent and in the presence of a Lewis acid, so as to obtain a product mixture including a 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene)-Lewis acid complex; contacting the product mixture with a protic solvent, so as to obtain a first phase containing the Lewis acid and a second phase containing 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene); heating at least the second phase up to a maximum temperature, followed by cooling the second phase down to a separation temperature; subjecting at least the second phase to a solid/liquid separation step at the separation temperature, so as to recover solid 1,4-bis(4-phenoxybenzoylbenzene).

A method of reducing a CO bond to the corresponding CH bond in a substrate, which could be a benzylic alcohol, allylic alcohol, ester or an ether bond beta to a hydroxyl group or alpha to a carbonyl group using a recyclable metal catalyst system. The recyclable catalyst system is also applicable to reducing a CO bond to the corresponding COH bond and then CH bond. These methodologies can be linked in one-pot to selective oxidation and depolymerizations of aromatic polyols such as lignin.