Patent ID: 7057060

Claim:
A process for synthesizing the alkali metal salt of a cyclic hemiacetal which comprises (1) preparing a solution of the cyclic hemiacetal in an anhydrous ether solvent; (2) adding a solution of an alkali metal compound to the solution of the cyclic hemiacetal, wherein the alkali metal compound is of the structural formula: R**M* wherein M* is an alkali metal selected from the group consisting of Li, Na, and K; wherein R** is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms, alkyl groups containing from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, aryl groups containing from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms, and alkaryl groups containing from 7 to about 18 carbon atoms; wherein said alkyl groups, aryl groups, and alkaryl groups can contain heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon; (3) allowing the cyclic hemiacetal to react with the alkali metal compound to produce the alkali metal salt of the cyclic hemiacetal, wherein said process is conducted in the absence of protic solvents of the formula: R″OH; wherein R″ is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen atoms, alkyl groups containing from 1 to about 12 carbon atoms, aryl groups containing from about 6 to about 18 carbon atoms, and alkaryl groups containing from 7 to about 18 carbon atoms; wherein said alkyl groups, aryl groups, and alkaryl groups can contain heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus, and silicon; wherein said process is conducted at a temperature which is within the range of about −100° C. to about 100° C.; and (4) recovering the metal salt of the cyclic hemiacetal from the anhydrous ether solvent.