Patent ID: 8003818

Claim:
A process for preparing a compound selected from the group consisting of: dialkyl 4-methylnonanedioate: dialkyl 3-ethyl-4-methylheptanedioate: and a combination thereof, wherein R is an alkyl group having at most 10 carbon atoms, which comprises, reacting γ-valerolactone, δ-hexanolactone, levulinic acid, or a dimer of levulinic acid or an ester of levulinic acid in the presence of hydrogen and an alkyl alcohol having at most 10 carbon atoms with an acidic heterogeneous catalyst that comprises an acidic zeolite and a hydrogenating metal, at a temperature in the range of from 100 to 350° C. and a pressure in the range of from 1 to 150 bar (absolute) under conditions effective to produce the compound.