Process for the production of compounds useful in perfumery

Claim 1

A process for preparing an isochroman derivative having a structure selected from the group consisting of ##STR25## comprising the steps of reacting a hydrocarbon reactant which is an indane or tetrahydronaphthalene derivative having a structure selected the group consisting of: ##STR26## with propylene oxide in the presence of a solvent consisting essentially of at least one aliphatic saturated C 5 -C 10 hydrocarbon, said, aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon being halogen-free, at a temperature between -20° C. and -5° C. in the presence of an aluminum chloride catalyst; the weight ratio of the aliphatic saturated hydrocarbon to the indane or tetrahydronaphthalene derivative being from 1:10 up to 10:1; the mole ratio of aluminum chloride to propylene oxide being from 1:1 up to 2:1; the mole ratio of indane or tetrahydronaphthalene derivative to propylene oxide being from 1:1 up to 10:1; followed by addition of a lower C 1 -C 6 alkanol at a temperature of -20° C. to 0° C.; the mole ratio of aluminum chloride to C 1 -C 6 alkanol being from 2:1 up to 1:2; followed by addition at a temperature of from 20° C. up to 80° C. of a formaldehyde equivalent having the structure: R'.sub.11 --O--CH.sub.2 --O--R'.sub.11 wherein R' 11 represents C 1 to C 6 alkyl, or paraformaldehyde; and then quenching the resulting reaction mass by pouring it into water.