Abstract: Process comprising contacting and reacting a substituted or unsubstituted diolefin polyperoxide, for example, butadienepolyperoxide, with an acidic aqueous medium containing cuprous and cupric ions and a water-soluble agent which forms a water-soluble complex with cuprous ions, and recovering furan or a substituted furan from the reaction mixture.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for the preparation of certain N-substituted-2-haloacetanilides via the reaction of a secondary 2-haloacetanilide with a haloalkyl ether, particularly, halomethyl ethers, which comprises forming the ether in situ by the in-solvent reaction of an alcohol, formaldehyde or other aldehyde and an acid halide to produce high purity haloalkyl ethers, while decreasing the concentration of undesirable bis by products, as for example bis(chloromethyl) ether. The ether formed in situ thereafter reacts with the secondary 2-haloacetanilide in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst and base to form the N-substituted-2-haloacetanilide.