Patent ID: 7268258

Claim:
A process for producing a muscone represented by the following formula (6): the process comprising: (a) subjecting a citronellic acid derivative represented by the general formula (1): wherein X represents a hydroxyl group or a halogen atom, and an undecenoate represented by the following general formula (2): wherein R represents a lower alkyl group, to a Claisen condensation reaction, to produce a keto ester compound represented by the following general formula (3): wherein R has the same meaning as above, (b) decarboxylating the keto ester compound of formula (3) to produce 2,6-dimethyl-8-oxy-2,17-heptadecadiene represented by the following formula (4): (c) cyclizing the heptadecadiene of formula (4) using a metathesis catalyst to produce a 6-dehydromuscone represented by the following formula (5) wherein the wavy line shows that a sixth-position double-bond cis-isomer and/or trans-isomer is contained, and (d) hydrogenating the double bond of the 6-dehydromuscone of formula (5).