Manufacture of 2-methyl-2-hepten-6-one

Claim 1

In a process for the manufacture of 2-methyl-2-hepten-6-one by reacting 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol with an alkyl acetoacetate at an elevated temperature in the presence of an organic aluminum compound, the improvement wherein the methylbutenol and the alkyl acetoacetate are reacted at from 140° to 180° C., in a molar ratio of from 0.8:1 to 2.0:1, with the proviso that the concentration of said alkyl acetoacetate in the reaction mixture during the entire reaction period is not above 15% by weight for a total time of more than two hours and wherein said organic aluminum compound has the formula ##STR2## where R 1 and R 2 are alkyl or alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 3 is alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and n is 0, 1, 2 or 3 or said aluminum compound is an aluminum triaryloxylate wherein the aryloxy group is phenolate, optionally substituted by lower alkyl or lower alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms or is naphtholate, optionally substituted by alkyl or alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms.