Patent ID: 8546621

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of 3,7-dimethyl-1-octen-3-ol comprising the following steps: a) hydrogenating 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-on to 6-methyl-2-heptanon in the presence of hydrogen and a palladium-containing catalyst on a carrier selected from the group consisting of carbon, calcium carbonate and aluminum oxide; b) reacting the 6-methyl-2-heptanon obtained in step a) with acetylene in the presence of ammonia and potassium hydroxide and in the absence of any additional organic solvent to obtain 3,7-dimethyl-1-octin-3-ol; and c) hydrogenating the 3,7-dimethyl-1-octin-3-ol obtained in step b) to 3,7-dimethyl-1-octen-3-ol in the presence of hydrogen and a palladium-containing catalyst on a carrier selected from the group consisting of calcium carbonate, aluminum oxide, silica, porous glass, carbon or graphite, and barium sulphate, with the proviso that the catalyst additionally contains lead when the carrier is calcium carbonate, wherein the palladium-containing catalyst used in step a) is the same palladium-containing catalyst as used in step c).