Patent ID: 7211687

Claim:
A process of synthesizing a compound of the formula A: R—O-M (A) wherein: R is a branched alkyl or alkenyl chain having at least 7 carbon atoms, and at least two branches; O is an oxygen atom; M is (—(CH 2 ) m CO 2 X), where m is an integer between 1 and 5; and X is hydrogen, a methyl group, an ethyl group, or a cation; comprising: (a) combining a branched alcohol (ROH), wherein R is as defined above, with potassium and/or sodium t-butoxide to form potassium and/or sodium alkoxide; wherein said branched alcohol serves as solvent and as reactant; (b) alkylating said potassium and/or sodium alkoxide with sodium and/or potassium salt of halogenated alkanoic acid to form carboxy-alkylate salt, the solvent consisting essentially of branched alcohol.