US 11636393 A description the present invention provides a process for the production of alkanoic acids by acid catalyzed hydrolysis and decarboxylation of substituted malonic esters the process is particularly useful for the production of alkanoic acids of the formula str3 wherein r 1 is an alkyl branched alkyl cycloalkyl or aryl group containing from about 2 to 10 carbon atoms and r 2 is h or an alkyl branched alkyl cycloalkyl or aryl group containing from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms it is preferred that the total number of carbon atoms r 1 and r 2 not be greater than about 16 and most preferred that it not be greater than about 10 in order to maintain the desired solubility of the acid catalyst in the ester alkanoic acids in this range find particular utility in the pharmaceutical industry and as pharmacological and chemical intermediates valproic acid ch 3 ch 2 ch 2 2 chcooh also known as 2 propylpentanoic acid 2 propylvaleric acid and di n propylacetic acid is a well known anticonvulsant and an antiepileptic agent the process of the present invention comprises a procedure wherein the hydrolysis and decarboxylation reactions take place in a single reaction vessel or 34 pot 34 the hydrolysis reaction of the substituted malonic esters occurs in the presence of a small amount of a recyclable strong acid catalyst and water the acid catalyst must be at least partially soluble in the diester at temperatures above 100 u00b0 c the water content in the reaction vessel must be.