PRODUCTION OF GERANYLPHENYL SULFONE

摘要

PURPOSE:To obtain the titled compound on an industrial scale at a low cost, by reacting myrcene with hydrogen chloride or reacting linalool with thionyl chloride and reacting the reaction mixture with a phenylsulfinic acid salt in the presence of a halogenated tetraalkylammonium salt. CONSTITUTION:A mixture of linalyl chloride and geranyl chloride is produced either by reacting myrcene with hydrogen chloride or by reacting linalool with thionyl chloride. The mixture is made to react with a phenylsulfinic acid salt in the presence of a halogenated tetraalkylammonium salt (especially preferably iodinated tetraalkylammonium salt) to obtain a geranyl sulfone of formula I (R is H or alkyl). The above process enables the production of the objective compound of formula I in high yield from an easily and inexpensively available raw material without using specific reagents. Cyclogeranylphenyl sulfone useful as an intermediate for vitamin A acetate can be produced by cyclizing the compound of formula I.