PRODUCTION OF MACROCYCLIC ESTER OR LACTONE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To produce a pure macrocyclic ester or lactone useful in the perfume industry in excellent yield according to a reaction in two steps by forming a linear oligomer from a monomer in the presence of a complex compound of iron and carrying out the cyclization depolymerization of the resultant oligo mer. SOLUTION: A linear oligomer is formed from a monomer having carbon atoms in a number corresponding to a large-membered ring in the presence of a complex compound of trivalent iron (e.g. acetylacetone) preferably at 50-300 deg.C temperature under 0.01 hPa to 10 MPa pressure in two steps and the cyclization depolymerization of the resultant oligomer is then carried out, preferably at 150-300 deg.C temperature under 0.01-700 hPa pressure to afford the objective compound according to the reaction in two steps. The macrocyclic compound preferably has 13-18 cyclic members. The concentration of the complex compound of the trivalent iron is preferably 0.01-1 wt.% based on the starting substance and the reaction is preferably intermittently or continuously conducted.