Process for the preparation of 1-hydroperoxy-16-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadecane

1. A process for the preparation of a reaction mixture containing 1-hydroperoxy-16-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadecane (DDP-OOH), said process comprising:

reacting 13-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadec-1(12)-ene (DDP) and hydrogen peroxide in a diluent having a pKa value of greater than or equal to 4.5 and a strong acid having a pKa value of less than or equal to 1.5; and

neutralizing the strong acid with at least 0.9 molar equivalent of a base, to produce said reaction mixture containing 1-hydroperoxy-16-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadecane (DDP-OOH).

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the diluent has a pKa value in the range of greater than or equal to 4.5 and less than or equal to 25.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the diluent is a straight- or branched-chain organic acid having 2 to 6 carbon atoms or a mixture of organic acids having 2 to 6 carbon atoms.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the diluent is acetic acid, propionic acid or a mixture of acetic acid and propionic acid.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the strong acid has a pKa value of less than or equal to 1.0.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the strong acid is a mineral acid or a straight- or branched-chain fluorinated carboxylic acid.

7. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the strong acid is chosen from the group consisting of sulfuric acid, trifluoroacetic acid, perfluoropropionic acid, perfluorobutanoic acid, perfluoropentanoic acid and perfluorohexanoic acid.

8. The process according to claim 1 , wherein an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution having a hydrogen peroxide content in the range from 10 to 75 wt.% is employed.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the base is chosen from the group consisting of alkali metal hydroxide, alkaline earth metal hydroxide and alkali metal or alkaline earth metal salt of a straight- or branched-chain organic acid having 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the base is chosen from the group consisting of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, alkali metal acetate and alkali metal propionate.

11. A reaction mixture containing 1-hydroperoxy-16-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadecane (DDP-OOH) obtained by a process comprising:

reacting 13-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadec-1(12-ene (DDP) and hydrogen peroxide in a diluent having a pKa value of greater than or equal to 4.5 and a strong acid having a pKa value of less than or equal to 1.5; and

neutralizing the strong acid with at least 0.9 molar equivalent of a base.

12. A process for the preparation of 11(12)-pentadecen-15-olide from 1-hydroperoxy-16-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadecane (DDP-OOH), said process comprising:

dissolving a copper compound in a high-boiling diluent;

heating and, optionally, reducing the pressure over the high-boiling diluent solution;

adding a reaction mixture containing 1-hydroperoxy-16-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadecane (DDP-OOH), resulting from reacting 13-oxabicyclo[10.4.0]hexadec-1(12)-ene (DDP) and hydrogen peroxide in a diluent having a pKa value of greater than or equal to 4.5 and a strong acid having a pKa value of less than or equal to 1.5 and neutralizing the strong acid with at least 0.9 molar equivalent of a base, to the high-boiling diluent solution; and

concentrating or isolating the 11(12)-pentadecen-15-olide.

13. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the copper compound has a solubility in the high-boiling diluent at 20° C. of at least 0.5 g/kg of high-boiling diluent.

14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the high boiling diluent has at least a boiling point of 170° C. under 5 mbar.

15. The process according to claim 13 wherein the high boiling diluent is chosen from one or more compounds of the formula:

HX-[A]-YH

wherein

X and Y independently of one another denote 0 or N—R, wherein R═H or an organic radical having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and

A is an organic radical having up to 100 carbon atoms.

16. The process according to claim 12 , wherein the diluent is an organic acid.

17. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the strong acid is a perfluorinated carboxylic acid.

18. The process according to claim 8 , wherein an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution having a hydrogen peroxide content in the range from 30 to 55 wt.% is employed.