Abstract: A method for producing aqueous ortho-phthalaldehyde solutions which comprises introducing an acetal of the o-phthalaldehyde into water and subsequently setting a pH <7 by adding an acid, whereupon, then at a temperature between 10° C. and 90° C., the acetal is converted into the o-phthalaldehyde by eliminating the corresponding alcohol, and also use of OPA acetals for producing these solutions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing chiral ?-hydroxycarboxylic crystalline acids consisting in transforming cyanhydrins (R) or (S) into ?-hydroxycarboxylic acids (R) or (S), respectively by enzymatic hydrolysis in the presence of Rhodococcus erythropolis NCIMB 11540.

Abstract: A process for catalytically oxidizing alkylaromatic compounds of the formula (I) Ar—CH2—R where Ar is an optionally substituted, aromatic or heteroaromatic 5-membered or 6-membered ring or a ring system having up to 20 carbon atoms where Ar may optionally be fused to a C1-C6-alkyl group in which up to 2 carbon atoms may be replaced by a heteroatom, and R is hydrogen, phenyl, benzyl or heteroaryl, where the phenyl, benzyl or heteroaryl radicals may also be joined to Ar by a bridge, or R together with Ar forms an optionally substituted ring system which may contain one or more optionally substituted heteroatoms, to the corresponding aromatic or heteroaromatic carboxylic acids in a solvent with ozone in the presence of a transition metal catalyst and optionally in the presence of an acid at a temperature between ?70° C. and 110° C. to the corresponding carboxylic acid.

Abstract: New genes containing a DNA sequence coding for hydroxynitrile lyase, which genes can be prepared via a primer combination based on the DNA sequence of the 5?-region of the mdl genes from the Prunus serotina and from Prunus amygdalus and/or a primer 2 based on the 3?-region of the DNA sequences of one of the hydroxynitrile lyase isoenzymes from Prunus serotina or from Prunus amygdalus, subsequent amplification with a DNA polymerase using a DNA from organisms, containing genes coding for hydroxynitrile lyase, as templates and cloning, and also recombinant proteins which can be prepared in suitable host cells by heterologous expression of the DNA sequence of said HNL genes, and proteins and fusion proteins derived therefrom and use of said proteins for preparing (R)- or (S)-cyanohydrins.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing monocarbonyl compounds or biscarbonyl compounds or hydroxyl compounds by ozonizing, unsaturated organic carbon compounds that, per molecule, have one or more olefinic or aromatic double bonds, which can be cleaved by ozone, and by subsequently processing the ozonization products.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for alkylating cross-linked polymers containing N- or amino, ammonium or spiro-bicyclic ammonium groups. According to said method, the gelated polymers, obtained by polymerization and cross-linking, are a) optionally, deprotonated in water, an organic solvent or in a mixture of an organic solvent and water, by adding a base, b) optionally, washed once or more with water, an organic solvent or a mixture of an organic solvent and water, then c) one or more alkylators are added to the gel suspension which is stirred in water, an organic solvent or in a mixture of an organic solvent and water, at a temperature of between 5 and 160° C. at normal or increased pressure, with a base being added after a short mixing time and d) reprotonation is carried out using a mineral acid, optionally after one or more washing steps, resulting in the alkylated, cross-linked polymers containing N- or amino, ammonium or spirobicyclic ammonium groups, accordingly.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of alkylated N- or amino, ammonium or spirobicyclic ammonium group-containing, crosslinked polymer gels, which is characterized in that a) in the crosslinkage step an aqueous solution of a polymer obtained by polymerization of the corresponding monomer is adjusted to a pH of 7.5–14 at a temperature of 0 to 90° C.

Abstract: A method for producing aqueous ortho-phthalaldehyde solutions which comprises introducing an acetal of the o-phthalaldehyde into water and subsequently setting a pH <7 by adding an acid, whereupon, then at a temperature between 10° C. and 90° C., the acetal is converted into the o-phthalaldehyde by eliminating the corresponding alcohol, and also use of OPA acetals for producing these solutions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing chiral ?-hydroxycarboxylic crystalline acids consisting in transforming cyanhydrins (R) or (S) into ?-hydroxycarboxylic acids (R) or (S), respectively by enzymatic hydrolysis in the presence of Rhodococcus erythropolis NCIMB 11540.

Abstract: A process for preparing enantiomer-enriched heterocyclic (R)- and (S)-cyanohydrins of the formula (I), where R1, R2, R3, R4 independently of one another are H, an unsubstituted or substituted C1–C24-alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl radical, where one or more carbon atoms in the chain can be replaced by an oxygen atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom, an SO or an SO2 group, an unsubstituted or substituted aryl or heteroaryl radical or heterocyclic radical or halogen, hydroxyl, NR5R6, acetyl, oxo, C1–C6-carbalkoxy, C1–C6-carbalkoxyamino, COOR7, cyano, amide, benzoylamino or NO2, R5 and R6 are H, C1–C6-alkyl radical, phenyl radical, benzyl radical or COOR7, or together form a C2–C8-alkylene or heteroalkylene radical, R7 is H or C1–C6-alkyl, n is 0, 1, 2 or 3, X, Y and Z can be an unsubstituted or substituted carbon atom or a radical selected from the group consisting of N, O, S or NR5R6, where R5 and R6 are as defined above, SO or SO2, and at least one of the radicals X, Y and Z is not a carbon atom, where the compo

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing chiral ?-hydroxycarboxylic crystalline acids consisting in transforming cyanhydrins (R) or (S) into ?-hydroxycarboxylic acids (R) or (S), respectively by enzymatic hydrolysis in the presence of Rhodococcus erythropolis NCIMB 11540.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for oxidizing organic substrates using 1O2 in which hydrophobic organic substrates that react with 1O2 are added to an organic solvent in the presence of a heterogeneous or homogeneous catalyst with 30–70% being compr Afterwards, H2O2 is catalytically decomposed into water and 1O2, and the oxidation into corresponding oxidation products ensues.

Abstract: A process for preparing protected, enantiomer-enriched cyanohydrins of the formula where R1 and R2 independently of one another can be an unsubstituted, monosubstituted or polysubstituted C1-C20-alkyl, C5-C20-aryl, C5-C20-heteroaryl, C5-C20-alkaryl, C5-C20-alkylheteroaryl or C5-C20-aralkyl radical or an unsubstituted, monosubstituted or polysubstituted C5-C20-heterocycle, or C5-C20-alkylheterocycle or together can be an unsubstituted or substituted C4-C20-alkylene radical, which can contain one or more heteroatoms in the chain, or one of the radicals is hydrogen, and R3 can be an unsubstituted or substituted C1-C20-alkyl, C5-C20-aryl or C5-C20-heteroaryl radical, by reacting an aldehyde or ketone of the formula where R1 and R2 are defined as above, in the presence of an (R)- or (S)-hydroxynitrile lyase in an organic, aqueous or 2-phase system or in emulsion at a temperature of ?5 to +40° C. with a carbonic ester nitrile of the formula where R3 is defined as above.

Abstract: The invention relates to an improved method for producing 2,2-dichloro or dibromo-phenyl alkyl acetates of formula (1), in which X represents Cl or Br, n represents a whole number from 1 to 5, R represents hydrogen, C1-C8 alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, C1-C8 alkoxy, aryloxy or halogen and R1 represents C1-C8 alkyl. According to said method, a 2,2-dichloro- or dibromo-phenylacetonitrile of formula (II) is reacted in 0.8 to 2 mol water per mol nitrile of formula (II), 1 to 8 mol alcohol of formula R1OH (III) per mol nitrile of formula (II) and in the presence of 1 to 3 mol HCl or HBr per mol nitrile of formula (II), optionally in the presence of a solvent that is inert in the reaction conditions, to form the corresponding 2,2-dichloro- or dibromo-phenyl alkyl acetates of formula (I), whereby the reaction temperature in the first phase lies between 30 and 60° C. and in the second phase between 60 and 100° C. Once the reaction has taken place, the reaction mixture is cooled to between 20 and 40° C.

Abstract: Process for the preparation of substituted thiazolines of the formula (I) in which Ar is a phenyl, naphthyl, thienyl, pyridyl or quinolinyl radical which can optionally be substituted by one or more substituents from the group consisting of halogen, OH, benzyloxy, C1-C4-alkyl, C1-C4-alkoxy, COOR1 where R1 is H or C1-C4-alkyl, by coupling of (S)-?-methylcysteine hydrochloride of the formula (II) with a nitrile of the formula (III) Ar—CN in which Ar is as defined above, or a corresponding C1-C4-alkyl imidate, in which (S)-?-methylcysteine hydrochloride of the formula (II) is reacted in a suitable solvent with a nitrile of the formula (III) or a corresponding C1-C4-alkyl imidate in the presence of a tertiary base at a pH of 6.5 to 10 at 50° C. up to the reflux temperature to give the corresponding thiazoline of the formula (I), and processes for the preparation of (S)-?-methylcysteine hydrochloride and its use for the preparation of thiazolines of the formula (I).

Abstract: New genes containing a DNA sequence coding for hydroxynitrile lyase, which genes can be prepared via a primer combination based on the DNA sequence of the 5?-region of the mdl genes from Prunus serotina and from Prunus amygdalus and/or a primer 2 based on the 3?-region of the DNA sequences of one of the hydroxynitrile lyase isoenzymes from Prunus serotina or from Prunus amygdalus, subsequent amplification with a DNA polymerase using a DNA from organisms, containing genes coding for hydroxynitrile lyase, as templates and cloning, and also recombinant proteins which can be prepared in suitable host cells by heterologous expression of the DNA sequence of said HNL genes, and proteins and fusion proteins derived therefrom and use of said proteins for preparing (R)- or (S)-cyanohydrins.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for the production of 2-coumarone or substituted 2-coumarones, whereby cyclohexanone or substituted cyclohexanone is reacted with a carboxyl-containing acylating agent a) to give methyl 2-(2-oxo-cyclohexyl)-2-hydroxyacetate or substituted methyl 2-(2-oxo-cyclohexyl)-2-hydroxyacetates, which are either a1) directly converted to 2-coumarone or substituted 2-coumarones by means of catalytic gas-phase dehydrogenation, or a2) dehydrated by means of azeotropic distillation under basic conditions, or by use of a strong acid, or a strongly acidic ion exchanger to a mixture of methyl 2-oxocyclohexylidenacetate and the enol-lactone of the 2-oxocyclohexylidenacetic acid, or a mixture of substituted methyl 2-oxocyclohexylidenacetate and the enol-lactone of the substituted 2-oxocyclohexylidenacetic acid, which is finally converted in turn by catalytic gas-phase dehydrogenation to 2-coumarone, or substituted 2-coumarones, or b) are directly converted under acidic or basic conditions into a

Abstract: A process for the preparation of chiral &agr;-hydroxycarboxylic acids: in which R1 is optionally halogen substituted C1-C2-alkyl and R2 is optionally halogen substituted C2-C3-alkyl from a compound: in which R′2 is optionally halogen substituted C2-C3-alkylene, m is 0 or 1 and R is optionally substituted alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl or heterocyclyl and X can be oxygen, sulfur, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, imino, C1-C6-alkylimino, xanthate, silyl, or, if m is equal to 0, halogen, which is reacted in the presence of a cyanide group donor to give the corresponding (R)- or (S)-cyanohydrin or its racemate: which then is converted by means of acidic hydrolysis into an acid: or its racemate, and by cleavage of the group: (R)m-X  (V), and optional resolution, whereby the desired chiral &agr;-hydroxycarboxylic acid of the formula (I) is obtained.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing 2-chloro-5-chloromethyl-1,3-thiazol from compounds of formula (I), wherein X means Cl, —OR, —SR or NR2, R being H or a suitable protective group; Y means H or Cl and Z means Cl or O, the compounds of formula (I) having at most one double bond between C* and C″ or between C″ and Z, on the condition that the bond between C″ and Z is a double bond when Z is the same as O and a single bond when Z is the same as Cl; with the following intermediate stage: A1) reacting 2,3-dichloropropanal with rhodanide and acetalising to 3-chloro-1,1-dialkoxy-2-isothiocyanato-propane or a2) reacting 2,3-dichloropropanal with thiourea to form a mixture of the hydrochlorides of the compounds N-[[5-(2-aminothiazol)yl]methyl]thiourea and [5-(2-aminothiazol)yl]methylthioformamidine and splitting to obtain the corresponding thiol or amine or b) reacting a compound of formula (I) wherein X means OR, SR or NR2, Y means clorine and Z

Abstract: The invention relates to a washing process for cleaning polymers containing N or amine, ammonium or spirobicyclic ammonium groups, comprising cationic groups containing N, in addition to suitable counterions, whereby the gelled-out polymers are obtained through polymerization and cross-linking by a) adding a base which is partially or fully deprotonated, b) the partially or fully deprotonated polymers are washed, then c) optionally, are reprotonated in an organic solvent or in an organic solvent/water mixture by adding an acid, whereupon d) optionally, they are washed in an organic solvent or an organic solvent/water mixture in order to shrink the gels and optionally, e) in connection with step c) or d), the steps a)-c) or -d) are repeated.