Synthesis of alpha-alpha-dimethyl-beta-hydroxy-propionaldehyde and alpha-hydroxy-beta-beta-dimethyl-gamma-butyrolactone

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PRODUCING ALPHA-HYDROXY-BETA-DIMETHYL-GAMMA-BUTYROLACTONE COMPRISING REACTING ISOBUTYRALDEHYDE WITH FORMALDEHYDE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 0*C. TO ABOUT 30*C. IN THE PRESENCE OF FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO ABOUT 5.0 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A BASIC CATALYST TO PRODUCE ALPHA,ALPHA-DIMETHYL-BETA-HYDROXYPROPIONALDEHYDE, NEUTRALIZING THE BASIC CATALYST WITH A LOWER MONOCARBOXYLIC ACID, REACTING HYDROGEN CYANIDE AT A TEMPERATURE OF FROM ABOUT 0*C. TO ABOUT 30*C. WITH THE RESULTING MIXTURE IN THE PRESENCE OF FROM ABOUT 0.5 TO ABOUT 5.0 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF A BASIC CATALYST TO PRODUCE ALPHA,GAMMA-DIHYDROXY-BETA-DIMETHYLBUTYRONITRILE, NEUTRALIZING THE BASIC CATALYST, REACTING THE RESULTING MIXTURE WITH AQUEOUS HYDROCHLORIC ACID TO PRODUCE ALPHAHYDROXY - BETA,BETA - DIMETHYL-GAMMA-BUTYROLACTONE, AND RECOVERING SAID LACTONE FROM THE REACTION MIXTURE.