Patent ID: 7485756

Claim:
A continuous process for decarboxylating a carboxylic acid of the formula I wherein R 1 =hydrogen, alkyl, arylalkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl or heterocycle, wherein R 1 is substituted or unsubstituted, and R 2 =hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, said process comprising: I. initially charging a carbonyl compound as a catalyst in a solvent at reaction temperature, to obtain a catalyst solution; II. metering a carboxylic acid of said formula I into said catalyst solution as an aqueous solution, aqueous suspension or as a water-comprising solid, to obtain a reaction mixture; and III. continuously removing a mixture of CO 2 , solvent, water and a member selected from the group consisting of a reaction product of the formula II, a salt which has an anion of the formula III or mixtures thereof wherein R 1 and R 2 are defined as in formula I; from said reaction mixture as a vapor.