The invention consists in a process for producing a cycloalkyl alkyl ether compound of formula (1): R¹-O-R², wherein R¹ represents a cyclopentyl group or cyclohexyl group which may have a substituent and R² represents an alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a cycloalkyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms which may have a substituent; said process comprising reacting an alicyclic olefin with an alcohol in the presence of an acidic ion-exchange resin having a water content of 5 wt.-% or less. Preferably, the process comprises reacting a gaseous alicyclic olefin with a gaseous alcohol in the presence of an acidic ion-exchange resin having a water content of 5 wt.-% or less.

The present invention relates to a process for Grignard type reactions comprising mixing at least two fluids in a microreactor having at least two injection points.

Tertiary alcohols are prepared by reacting carboxylic esters with Grignard reagents in ethereal solvents in the presence of lanthanum trichloride and lithium chloride.

The method is particularly suitable for the production of (αS)-α-[3-[(1E)-2-(7-chloro-2-quinolinyl)ethenyl]phenyl]-2-(1-hydroxy-1-methylethyl)benzenepropanol of formula which is an intermediate in the production of montelukast.

The present application relates to mixed Mg/Li amides of the general formula



         R¹R²N-MgX·zLiY     (I),



wherein

R¹, R² and R³ independently are selected from substituted or unsubstituted aryl or heteroaryl containing one or more heteroatoms, linear, branched or cyclic, substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, or derivatives thereof, and, for R¹ and R² only, the silyl derivatives thereof; one of R¹ and R² may be H; or R¹ and R² together can be part of a cyclic or polymeric structure;

X and Y independently are selected amongst others from the group consisting of F; Cl; Br; I; CN; SCN; NCO; and z > 0, as well as a process for the preparation of the mixed Mg/Li amides and the use of these amides, e.g. as bases.

Methods are provided for the construction of unsymmetrical biaryl compounds and alkylated aromatic compounds from arylnitriles using a nickel or palladium catalyzed coupling in which the catalyst has at least one phosphorus ligand.

A microreactor with a sensor 9, 11 in a reaction channel 6. The sensor comprises a pair of spaced apart electrodes through which an AC voltage is passed. The amplitude and phase of the current flowing between the electrodes is monitored allowing the impedance of the reaction fluid between the electrodes to be measured.