Patent · US Expired

Hydroxymethylation of tocopherols

US5892058A · kind A · utility

1Cited by

2References

9Claims

0Family size

Assignee

Roche Vitamins Inc. · US

Inventors

Konrad Bruggemann · Möhlin, CH
Juan Ramon Herguijuela · Auggen, DE
Thomas Netscher · Bad Krozingen, DE
Johann Riegl · Glückstadt, DE

Key dates

Filing date	Apr 28, 1997
Grant date	Apr 6, 1999
Priority date	—
Expiry date	Apr 28, 2017

Classification

Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
CPC primaryY02P20/582
WIPO fieldOrganic fine chemistry
WIPO sectorChemistry

Abstract

A method of producing .alpha.-tocopherol from non-.alpha.-tocopherols is disclosed. In the disclosed method, non-.alpha.-tocopherols are hydroxymethylated and reduced to .alpha.-tocopherol in a single step by reacting formaldehyde or a formaldehyde-producing compound with the non-.alpha.-tocopherol under catalytic reducing conditions in a reaction mixture containing the non-.alpha.-tocopherol, formaldehyde or formaldehyde-producing compound and boric acid or a boric acid-producing compound dispersed in a solvent of an azeotropic mixture of trimethyl borate and methanol and a non-polar organic solvent.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.