Abstract: Disclosed is a process for making alkoxylates of organic compounds. The process requires a) providing an active hydrogen organic compound having 1 to 22 carbon atoms, and b) alkoxylating the organic compound with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a catalyst compound corresponding to either formula (I) or formula (II): B(&phgr;)3  (I) H+B(&phgr;)4−  (II) wherein B is a boron atom and H is a hydrogen atom; &phgr; is a phenyl moiety having substituents selected from the group consisting of 1 to 5 fluorine atoms, 1 to 5 CF3 moieties, 1 to 5 OCF3 or SCF3 moieties or OR; wherein C is a carbon atom, O is an oxygen atom, S is a sulfur atom and F is a fluorine atom; wherein R is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group having from 1 to 22 carbon atoms. The process affords a product of very narrow molecular weight distribution with a low degree of both residual active hydrogen organic starting material and undesirable by-products.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for making alkoxylates of organic compounds.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for making alkoxylates of organic compounds. The process requires a) providing an active hydrogen organic compound having 1 to 22 carbon atoms and b) alkoxylating the organic compound with an alkylene oxide in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of a rare earth triflimide of the following formula: R1R2R3X wherein X is a lanthanide; R1, R2, and R3 each being independently a triflimide group of the following formula: N(SO2Z)2 wherein Z is CnF2n+1; C being a carbon atom; F being a fluorine atom; and n being an integer from 1 to 15.