Showing papers by "John A. Hyatt published in 2001"

Method of production of vitamin E

Abstract: The invention provides processes for producing phytol, isophytol, and certain phytol derivatives by a method of oxidizing or epoxidizing geranylgeraniol or geranylgeraniol derivatives to form epoxygeranylgeraniol derivatives, reducing or hydrogenating the epoxygeranylgeraniol derivatives to produce epoxyphytol derivatives, and then deoxygenating the epoxyphytol derivatives to produce phytol, isophytol, phytene derivatives, isophytene derivatives, or mixtures thereof. The step of deoxygenating is carried out in the presence of deoxygenation catalysts, including rhenium trioxide compounds. The invention also provides methods for the synthesis of certain novel substituted epoxyphytyl compounds and substituted phytene compounds having removable protecting groups. The produce phytol, isophytol, phytene derivatives, isophytene derivatives, substituted epoxyphytyl compounds and substituted phytene compounds are suitable starting materials for condensation with trimethylhydroquinone derivatives in the presence of Lewis acids to give tocopherol derivatives including alpha-tocopherol, vitamin E.