Abstract: Formaldehyde is reacted with hydrogen and carbon monoxide with rhodium catalyst in the presence of phosphine ligands having electron-withdrawing substituents, obtaining high selectivity to glycol aldehyde with a stable catalyst system.

Abstract: A storage stable composition of glutaraldehyde acetals and an organic acidic catalyst, which can be converted to glutaraldehyde at the site and upon demand, by the addition of water.

Abstract: Described is a mixture containing a major proportion of unsaturated aldehydes defined according to the structure: ##STR1## wherein in the mixture in each of the molecules thereof one of the dashed lines represents a carbon-carbon double bond and each of the other of the dashed lines represent carbon-carbon single bonds, prepared by first reacting a diisoamylene compound defined according to the structure: ##STR2## wherein one of the dashed lines represents a carbon-carbon double bond and each of the other of the dashed lines represent carbon-carbon single bonds or defined according to one of the structures: ##STR3## with formaldehyde or a formaldehyde source such as trioxane or paraformaldehyde in the presence of an alkanoic acid anhydride and an acid catalyst; then hydrolyzing the resulting ester or mixture of esters to form an alcohol or mixture of alcohols and finally oxidizing the resulting alcohol or mixture of alcohols to form a mixture of aldehydes; the organoleptic uses of such oxidation products in t

Abstract: For preparing carbonyl compounds containing certain functional groups, a carbonyl compound is reacted with an unsaturated compound in the presence of a trivalent-manganese initiator and an amine. There is a positive coaction between the trivalent-Mn catalyst and the amine. Typically, 2-methyl-3-butene-2-ol is reacted with acetone in the presence of triethylamine and manganese triacetate (bihydrated) to obtain 2-methyl-heptane-2-ol-3-one. Yields and selectivities are more than satisfactory.

Abstract: Aliphatic carbonyl compounds are prepared by an aldol condensation of carbonyl compounds R.sup.1 --CH.sub.2 --CO--R.sup.2 (I; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 =H or C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 -alkyl) in the presence of hydrogen and of a catalyst which has both condensing and hydrogenating properties, by using a catalyst system wherein the active components are from 1 to 90 percent by weight of a noble metal of group VIII of the periodic table and from 10 to 99 percent by weight of an oxide or salt of a rare earth metal, or of a mixture of different oxides and/or salts of rare earth metals.