Described is a process of making pseudoionone and hydroxy pseudoionone comprising the steps of (i) preparing a first aqueous mixture comprising first concentrations of acetone, citral and hydroxide, (ii) producing a second aqueous mixture by allowing to react for a reaction time the components of the first aqueous mixture and (iii) producing a third aqueous mixture by adding to the second aqueous mixture a second amount of hydroxide so that an additional amount of pseudoionone is formed in the third aqueous mixture. The invention further suggests an apparatus for making pseudoionone and hydroxy pseudoionone as well as to a respective process and use of said apparatus in making pseudoionone and hydroxy pseudoionone.

A process for manufacturing a substituted cyclohexanecarbonitrile said process comprising the following steps: —reacting the corresponding substituted cyclohexanecarboxylic acid with thionyl chloride to make the corresponding acyl chloride; and simultaneously or subsequently —reacting the chloride with sulfonamide in sulfolane as solvent to make the substituted cyclohexanecarbonitrile.

A process for manufacturing a substituted cyclohexanecarbonitrile said process comprising the following steps: —reacting the corresponding substituted cyclohexanecarboxylic acid with thionyl chloride to make the corresponding acyl chloride; and simultaneously or subsequently —reacting the chloride with sulfonamide in sulfolane as solvent to make the substituted cyclohexanecarbonitrile.

The invention relates to a process for preparing an α-methylene ketone comprising the step of reacting a ketone with formaldehyde in the presence of a catalyst which is an organic compound comprising at least one acid function or the corresponding salt, ester or amide thereof and at least one amine function or the corresponding ammonium salt, or a zwitterion thereof.

The invention relates to a process for preparing an α-methylene ketone comprising the step of reacting a ketone with formaldehyde in the presence of a catalyst which is an organic compound comprising at least one acid function or the corresponding salt, ester or amide thereof and at least one amine function or the corresponding ammonium salt, or a zwitterion thereof.

The present invention relates to: a method for converting a hydroxyl group of an alcohol; and a catalyst which makes the method possible. A method for converting a hydroxyl group of an alcohol according to the present invention is characterized by producing a compound represented by CH(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)Nu (wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and Nu are as defined below) by reacting an alcohol represented by CH(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)OH (wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, or the like) and a compound having an active proton, which is represented by H-Nu (wherein Nu represents a group represented by —CHX.sup.1-EWG.sup.1 or —NR.sup.3R.sup.4; X.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; EWG.sup.1 represents an electron-withdrawing group; and each of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, or the like), with each other in the presence of a complex of a group 7-11 metal of the periodic table and at least one solid base that is selected from the group consisting of layered double hydroxides, composite oxides and calcium hydroxide.

The present invention relates to: a method for converting a hydroxyl group of an alcohol; and a catalyst which makes the method possible. A method for converting a hydroxyl group of an alcohol according to the present invention is characterized by producing a compound represented by CH(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)Nu (wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and Nu are as defined below) by reacting an alcohol represented by CH(R.sup.1)(R.sup.2)OH (wherein each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, or the like) and a compound having an active proton, which is represented by H-Nu (wherein Nu represents a group represented by —CHX.sup.1-EWG.sup.1 or —NR.sup.3R.sup.4; X.sup.1 represents a hydrogen atom or the like; EWG.sup.1 represents an electron-withdrawing group; and each of R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted alkyl group, or the like), with each other in the presence of a complex of a group 7-11 metal of the periodic table and at least one solid base that is selected from the group consisting of layered double hydroxides, composite oxides and calcium hydroxide.

The present invention relates to the manufacturing of a process of alkyl 2-acetyl-5,9,13-trimethyltetradeca-4,8,12-trienoates and alkyl 2-acetyl-9,13-di-methyl-5-methylenetetradeca-8,12-dienoate as well as 6,10,14-trimethylpenta-deca-5,9,13-trien-2-one and 10,14-dimethyl-6-methylenepentadeca-9,13-dien-2-5 one and 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one.

The present invention relates to the manufacturing of a process of alkyl 2-acetyl-5,9,13-trimethyltetradeca-4,8,12-trienoates and alkyl 2-acetyl-9,13-di-methyl-5-methylenetetradeca-8,12-dienoate as well as 6,10,14-trimethylpenta-deca-5,9,13-trien-2-one and 10,14-dimethyl-6-methylenepentadeca-9,13-dien-2-5 one and 6,10,14-trimethylpentadecan-2-one.

Zwitterion ligand metal complexes and methods of aerobic oxidation using a zwitterion ligand metal complex are provided. The zwitterion ligand metal complexes can include a transition metal salt and a zwitterion ligand, which can comprise a non-conjugated amide anion-phosphonium cation, an amide anion-ammonium cation, or an iminium cation. The methods of aerobic oxidation can include combining the zwitterion ligand metal complex with an oxidizable compound and molecular oxygen to allow the isolation of an oxidized compound from the oxidizable compound.