Claims
- 1. A method for the production of a gamma-butyrolactone having the structure ##STR48## wherein --X.sub.1 and --X.sub.2 are substituents individually selected from the group consisting of --Cl, --Br, --CN, --COCH.sub.3, and COOAlk wherein Alk is an alkyl group with up to six carbon atoms, and --X.sub.3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, --CH.sub.3, --C.sub.2 H.sub.5, --CN and --COOH, which comprises: reacting, under reaction conditions, a diene having the structure ##STR49## wherein --X.sub.1 and --X.sub.2 are as hereinabove described, with a carboxylic acid having the structure ##STR50## wherein --X.sub.3 is as hereinabove described, in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of tetravalent cerium or trivalent manganese salt; and recovering said gamma-butyrolactone.
- 2. The method described in claim 1 wherein --X.sub.3 is hydrogen and the reaction is conducted in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of trivalent manganese salt.
- 3. The method described in claim 2 wherein both --X.sub.1 and --X.sub.2 are --Cl.
- 4. The method described in claim 2 wherein --X.sub.1 is --COOCH.sub.3 or --COOC.sub.2 H.sub.5 and --X.sub.2 is --CH.sub.3.
- 5. The method described in claim 2 wherein --X.sub.1 is --COCH.sub.3 and --X.sub.2 is --CH.sub.3.
- 6. The method described in claim 2 wherein both --X.sub.1 and --X.sub.3 are --Br.
- 7. The method described in claim 2 wherein --X.sub.1 is --CN and --X.sub.2 is --CH.sub.3.
- 8. The method described in claim 2 wherein --X.sub.1 is --COOCH.sub.3 or --COOC.sub.2 H.sub.5 and --X.sub.2 is --COCH.sub.3.
- 9. The method described in claim 2 wherein both --X.sub.1 and --X.sub.2 are --CN.
- 10. The method described in claim 2 wherein --X.sub.1 is --COOCH.sub.3 or --COOCH.sub.2 H.sub.5 and --X.sub.2 is --Cl or --Br.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
This application is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 336,857 filed Feb. 28, 1973, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,175,089 issued Nov. 20, 1979 which in turn is a continuation-in-part of copending application Ser. No. 30,582, filed Apr. 21, 1970, now abandoned. The latter application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 714,447, filed Mar. 20, 1968, which application was pending at the time application Ser. No. 30,582 was filed but which has since been abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (2)
Number |
Name |
Date |
Kind |
3470219 |
Hobbs et al. |
Sep 1969 |
|
3992417 |
Dessau et al. |
Nov 1976 |
|
Foreign Referenced Citations (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
855246 |
Nov 1970 |
CAX |
895894 |
Mar 1972 |
CAX |
1242786 |
Sep 1971 |
GBX |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (2)
Entry |
Heiba et al., Jour. Amer. Chem. Soc. 96, 7977 (1974). |
Bader Aldrichimica Acta, vol. 9, No. 3, 1976 p. 49. |
Continuation in Parts (3)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
336857 |
Feb 1973 |
|
Parent |
30582 |
Apr 1970 |
|
Parent |
714447 |
Mar 1968 |
|