A process for reducing the percentage by weight of formaldehyde present in a composition comprising glycolaldehyde, wherein formaldehyde is transformed into one or more formaldehyde acetal(s) and removed from the reactive distillation reaction solution by reactive distillation in the presence of at least one alcohol and a catalyst.

A process for reducing the percentage by weight of formaldehyde present in a composition comprising glycolaldehyde, wherein formaldehyde is transformed into one or more formaldehyde acetal(s) and removed from the reactive distillation reaction solution by reactive distillation in the presence of at least one alcohol and a catalyst.

A process for continuously removing water in situ from an oxidative esterification reaction includes (a) conducting a first oxidative esterification reaction in a first reactor or reaction zone, wherein the total number of reactors or reaction zones is n and n is at least 2; (b) removing a crude product stream from the first reactor or reaction zone; (c) introducing the crude product stream to a distillation column to generate a column overheads stream and a column bottoms stream; (d) passing at least a portion of the columns bottoms stream to the product recovery zone; and (e) passing at least a portion of the column overheads stream to a subsequent reactor or reaction zone; and (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for each subsequent reactor or reaction zone such that the number of distillation columns less than n, and wherein the at least a portion of the column overheads stream contains less than 1 weight percent (wt %) water based on the total weight of the at least a portion of the column overheads stream.

A process for continuously removing water in situ from an oxidative esterification reaction includes (a) conducting a first oxidative esterification reaction in a first reactor or reaction zone, wherein the total number of reactors or reaction zones is n and n is at least 2; (b) removing a crude product stream from the first reactor or reaction zone; (c) introducing the crude product stream to a distillation column to generate a column overheads stream and a column bottoms stream; (d) passing at least a portion of the columns bottoms stream to the product recovery zone; and (e) passing at least a portion of the column overheads stream to a subsequent reactor or reaction zone; and (f) repeating steps (a)-(e) for each subsequent reactor or reaction zone such that the number of distillation columns less than n, and wherein the at least a portion of the column overheads stream contains less than 1 weight percent (wt %) water based on the total weight of the at least a portion of the column overheads stream.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a compound of (III) ##STR00001## wherein X is a leaving group; and R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl;
which comprises oxidative rearrangement of a compound of formula (II) or a solvate thereof ##STR00002## Compounds of formula (III) are key intermediates in the synthesis of Bilastine.

The invention relates to a process for preparing a compound of (III) ##STR00001## wherein X is a leaving group; and R.sup.1 is C.sub.1-C.sub.6 alkyl;
which comprises oxidative rearrangement of a compound of formula (II) or a solvate thereof ##STR00002## Compounds of formula (III) are key intermediates in the synthesis of Bilastine.

The present invention provides a process for preparing a diester compound of the following general formula (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, the process comprising reacting a dimethylcyclobutanone compound of the following general formula (2), wherein R.sup.1 is as defined above, with a phosphonic ester compound of the following general formula (3), wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, to produce the diester compound (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring. ##STR00001##

The present invention provides a process for preparing a diester compound of the following general formula (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, the process comprising reacting a dimethylcyclobutanone compound of the following general formula (2), wherein R.sup.1 is as defined above, with a phosphonic ester compound of the following general formula (3), wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, to produce the diester compound (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring. ##STR00001##

A method by which an intermediate product of an azole derivative can be produced at a lower cost than known production methods is provided. A method for producing a compound represented by General Formula (IV) includes converting a compound represented by General Formula (II) into the compound represented by General Formula (IV) using (a) dimethyl sulfide and/or dimethyl sulfoxide, and (b) a methyl-LG (an LG is a nucleophilically substitutable leaving group and is selected from the group consisting of a halogen group, an alkoxysulfonyloxy group, an aryloxysulfonyloxy group, an alkylsulfonyloxy group, a haloalkylsulfonyloxy group, and an arylsulfonyloxy group) in the presence of an inorganic base.

A method by which an intermediate product of an azole derivative can be produced at a lower cost than known production methods is provided. A method for producing a compound represented by General Formula (IV) includes converting a compound represented by General Formula (II) into the compound represented by General Formula (IV) using (a) dimethyl sulfide and/or dimethyl sulfoxide, and (b) a methyl-LG (an LG is a nucleophilically substitutable leaving group and is selected from the group consisting of a halogen group, an alkoxysulfonyloxy group, an aryloxysulfonyloxy group, an alkylsulfonyloxy group, a haloalkylsulfonyloxy group, and an arylsulfonyloxy group) in the presence of an inorganic base.