Patent ID: 7169749

Claim:
A process for the production of an alkyl-substituted butenol having the formula (I): R 1 —CH 2 —CH═CR 2 —CH 2 OH (I) wherein R 1 is a saturated or olefinically unsaturated alkyl or cycloalkyl group having from 4 to 16 carbon atoms and wherein R 1 is optionally substituted by an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl or alkaryl having up to 12 carbon atoms; and R 2 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to about 6 carbon atoms the process comprising: by reacting at least one aldehyde of the formula (II) with at least one corresponding lower aldehyde: R 1 —CH 2 —CHO (II) and R 1 has the same meaning as in formula (I); wherein: (i) aldol condensation is carried out in an inert organic solvent, and (ii) reduction of the unsaturated aldehydes is carried out in the presence of an optionally calcined copper/zinc catalyst, and is carried out continuously under isothermal conditions at a temperature ranging from 45 to 60° C. and under a hydrogen pressure of 1 to 300 bar at an LHSV (liquid hourly space velocity) of 0.3 to 3.0 hr −1 .