Abstract: A process for purifying an aldehyde-containing ketone, which comprises catalytically hydrogenating a crude ketone containing minor amounts of aliphatic aldehydes at a temperature of from room temperature to about 100.degree. C. and a pressure of from atmospheric pressure to 10 kg/cm.sup.2 .multidot.G, in the presence of hydrogen, a palladium-containing catalyst, and about 0.4 to about 15% by weight, based on the weight of the crude ketone, of an active hydrogen-containing compound having a higher boiling point than the ketone which is selected from the group consisting of water, aliphatic alcohols containing 3 to 7 carbon atoms, aliphatic carboxylic acids containing 1 to 6 carbon atoms, alicyclic alcohols containing 5 to 8 carbon atoms and alkylamines having an alkyl or cycloalkyl group containing 5 to 9 carbon atoms; distilling the hydrogenated product; and recovering a fraction containing the ketone.

Abstract: Beta-diketones substituted by an aryl-aliphatic group in which the aliphatic chain is interrupted by a cyclic group, and useful as anti-viral agents, are prepared by interacting the appropriate aryl-aliphatic halide with an alkali metal salt of a beta-diketone.

Abstract: Bisphosphinic acid anhydrides of the formula ##STR1## in which R is a saturated open chain or cyclic alkylene radical, an arylene or aralkylene radical, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, which may be identical or different, represent optionally halogen substituted alkyl, aryl or aralkyl radicals, and m represents an integer .gtoreq.1, preferably .gtoreq.2 and a process for their preparation which comprises reacting bisphosphinic acid derivatives of the formula ##STR2## in which R.sup.3 and R.sup.4, are hydrogen, monovalent cations, the ammonium group or optionally halogen-substituted alkyl groups, with inorganic acid chlorides and/or with phosgene and/or with oxalyl chloride and/or with the corresponding bromine compounds in a molar ratio of about 1:1 at a temperature up to 250.degree. C.