TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Process: The protic solvent is one or more of water, 1-6C alcohols, 1-10C polyols, 5-12C cycloalkanols, 3-12C alkenols, phenyl-(1-4C) alkanols, 1-6C alkanethiols, 1-10C polythiols, 3-12C cycloalkanethiols and/or 3-12C alkenethiols. The polar solvent is one or more of ketones, nitriles, ethers, esters, dialkyl formamides, dimethyl sulfoxide, nitrobenzene, nitromethane and sulfolane. Alternatively the solvent is an ionic liquid or molten ionic solid, optionally mixed with the protic or polar solvents. In particular the solvent is an alcohol corresponding to at least one of the residues in (VI). Reaction is carried out at 30-350 (preferably 90-120) degrees C for 5 minutes to 30 days (preferably for 6-36 hours), under an atmosphere of air, steam or inert gas (preferably nitrogen or argon), optionally in presence of a reducing agent (preferably an aluminum hydride or borohydride, especially of sodium or lithium) or hydrogen and a platinum metal catalyst (e.g. platinum, palladium, rhodium, ruthenium or iridium). If R1 = H, (V) is converted to give a mixture of (I) and a heteroaromatic carboxylate of formula (IIa; R1 replaced by COO-) or (IIb; R1 replaced by COO-). Reaction is carried out batchwise, semi-continuously or continuously with agitation (specifically by stirring or shaking). Preferred Definitions:    X, Z = N;    Y = O, S or N-R;    X, Z = N, P, As or Sb;    Y = O, S, Se, Te, N-R, P-R, As-R or Sb-R;    R, R1', R2' = 1-30C alkyl, 2-30C alkenyl, 2-30C alkynyl, 3-12C cycloalkyl, 3-12C cycloalkenyl, aryl or heteroaryl (all os by 1-3 of 1-6C alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 3-7C cycloalkyl, halo, NO2, CN, ORc, SRc, NRcRd, CORc, COORc or CONRcRd); and R may also be H;    or R1' + R2' = -CHRa-CHRb-, -CHRa-CH2-CHRb- or os 1,2-phenylene;    Ra, Rb = H or 1-6C alkyl;    R1 - R4 = H, halo, NO2, CN, ORc, SRc, NRcRd, CORc, COORc or CONRcRd; or 1-30C alkyl, 2-30C alkenyl, 2-30C alkynyl, 3-12C cycloalkyl, 3-12C cycloalkenyl, aryl or heteroaryl (all os by one or more halo and/or 1-3 of 1-6C alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, 3-7C cycloalkyl, halo, NO2, CN, ORc, SRc, NRcRd, CORc, COORc or CONRcRd);    Rc, Rd = H, 1-6C alkyl, 1-6C haloalkyl, 2-30C alkenyl, 5-6C cycloalkyl, Ph, tolyl or benzyl;    or R + R1 or R + R2 (or in (IIb) also R2 + R3 or R3 + R4) = group (optionally interrupted by heteroatom(s) selected from O, S, N, NH or N(1-4C alkyl)) completing an os, unsaturated or aromatic ring.    EXAMPLE - A mixture of 82 g 1-methylimidazole, 108 g dimethyl carbonate and 34 g methanol was heated in an autoclave at 120 degrees C for 24 hours, then evaporated. The residue was dried under high vacuum to give 156 g (98%) of a white crystalline product, consisting of (by NMR) 65% 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-methyl carbonate and 34% 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate. No 4-carboxylate was detectable.