.omega.-hydroxy-(.omega.-3)-ketonitrile and method for preparing .omega.-hydroxyaliphatic acid

Abstract

There are disclosed (i) .omega.-hydroxy-(.omega.-3)-ketonitrile represented by the formula ( I ): NC(CH.sub.2).sub.n --CO--(CH.sub.2).sub.3 OH (I) wherein n is an integer of 7 to 11, (ii) a method for preparing the .omega.-hydroxy-(.omega.-3)-ketonitrile which comprises reacting .alpha.-(.omega.-cyanoalkanoyl)-.gamma.-butyrolactone represented by the formula (II): ##STR1## wherein n has the same meaning as defined above, in the presence of 1 to less than 2 mole of an alkali metal hydroxide per mole of the butyrolactone in an aqueous medium, and (iii) a method for preparing .omega.-hydroxy fatty acid represented by the formula (IV): HOOC(CH.sub.2).sub.n+4 --OH (IV) wherein n has the same meaning as defined above, which comprises reacting the above .omega.-hydroxy-(.omega.-3)-ketonitrile of the formula (I) with hydrazine in an aqueous solution of an alkali metal hydroxide.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.