Aqueous compositions comprising 6-undecanol-esters

A method for preparing 6-undecanol-esters, the method containing:

• (a) providing ethanol and/or a lower alkanoic acid or any salts thereof, and contacting the ethanol and/or the lower alkanoic acid or any salts thereof with at least one microorganism capable of carrying out two-carbon chain elongation, to produce hexanoic acid and/or a salt thereof and/or an ester thereof;
• (b) contacting the hexanoic acid and/or the salt thereof and/or the ester thereof from (a) with at least one ketonization catalyst under suitable reaction conditions for chemical ketonization of the hexanoic acid and/or the salt thereof and/or the ester thereof to 6-undecanone;
• (c) contacting the 6-undecanone with at least one hydrogenation metal catalyst for catalytic hydrogenation of the 6-undecanone to 6-undecanol;
• and
• (d) esterifying the 6-undecanol with at least one selected from the group consisting of
• A) acyl group donors providing acyl groups of a monocarboxylic acid with 6 to 32 carbon atoms, and
• B) acyl group donors providing acyl groups of a polyfunctional carboxylic acid with 2 to 44 carbon atoms.