Abstract: A process for preparing 1,7-octadiene by dimerizing butadiene in the presence of a catalytic amount of palladium acetate and a tertiary phosphine, a solvent in an amount sufficient to dissolve the catalyst, a strong base and formic acid, wherein: (a) the molar ratio of the strong base to the formic acid is 1:1-2, (b) the mole ratio of tertiary phosphine to palladium is at least 1, (c) the amount of strong base present is such that the pH of the reaction medium is from 7.5 to 10.5 and (d) the solvent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, lower alkyl substituted aromatic hydrocarbon, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated lower aliphatic hydrocarbons, nitriles, amides, dilower alkyl ethers, lower alkyl phenyl ethers, lower alkyl esters of lower alkanoic acids, ketones and lower alkanols.

Abstract: A process for preparing 1,7-octadiene by dimerizing butadiene in the presence of a catalytic amount of palladium acetate and a tertiary phosphine, a solvent in an amount sufficient to dissolve the catalyst, a strong base and formic acid, wherein: (a) the molar ratio of the strong base to the formic acid is 1:1-2, (b) the mole ratio of tertiary phosphine to palladium is at least 1, (c) the amount of strong base present is such that the pH of the reaction medium is from 7.5 to 10.5 and (d) the solvent is at least one member selected from the group consisting of aromatic hydrocarbons, lower alkyl substituted aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons, halogenated lower aliphatic hydrocarbons, nitriles, amides, dilower alkyl ethers, lower alkyl phenyl ethers, lower alkyl esters of lower alkanoic acids, ketones and lower alkanols.