Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for preparing polyol alkyl ethers by reacting compounds comprising at least three hydroxyl functionalities with olefins in the presence of acidic catalysts at temperatures of from 20 to 250° C. and pressures of from 0.5 to 10 bar, wherein the olefins correspond to the general formula (I) in which R1 is hydrogen and R2 is a linear or branched carbon radical having from 7 to 28 carbon atoms, or R1 and R2 are each linear or branched carbon radicals having from 1 to 27 carbon atoms, the sum of the carbon number of R1 and R2 being at most 28, to polyol alkyl ethers derived from compounds having at least three hydroxyl functionalities, not more than all but one hydroxyl functionality being replaced by a moiety of the general formula (VIII) to the use of these polyol alkyl ethers as surfactants and to laundry detergents and cleaning compositions comprising these polyol alkyl ethers.

Abstract: Preparation of highly reactive isobutene homo- or copolymers with Mn=from 500 to 1 000 000 by polymerizing isobutene from technical C4 hydrocarbon streams having an isobutene content of from 1 to 90% by weight in the liquid phase in the presence of a dissolved, dispersed or supported catalyst complex, by using, as the catalyst complex, a protic acid compound I [H+]kYk?.Lx ??(I) Yk? weakly coordinating k-valent anion which comprises at least one hydrocarbon moiety, L neutral solvent molecules and x?0.

Abstract: The invention describes a process for the preparation of novel surfactant alcohols and surfactant alcohol ethers by derivatization of olefins having from about 10 to 20 carbon atoms or of mixtures of such olefins to give alkanols, and optional subsequent alkoxylation, which comprises subjecting a C4-olefin mixture to metathesis, dimerizing the resulting olefins, and then derivatizing them to give surfactant alcohols, and optionally alkoxylating said alcohols. The olefin mixture obtained in the dimerization has a high proportion of branched components and less than 10% by weight of compounds which contain a vinylidene group. invention further describes the use of the surfactant alcohols and surfactant alcohol ethers to give surfactants by glycosylation or polyglycosylation, sulfation or phosphation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of alkylarylsulfonates by a) reaction of a C4-olefin mixture over a metathesis catalyst for the preparation of an olefin mixture comprising 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene, and optional removal of 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene, b) dimerization of the 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene obtained in stage a) over a dimerization catalyst to give a mixture containing C10-12-olefins, and optional removal of the C10-12-olefins, c) reaction of the C10-12-olefin mixtures obtained in stage b) with an aromatic hydrocarbon in the presence of an alkylating catalyst to form alkylaromatic compounds, where, prior to the reaction, additional linear olefins may be added, d) sulfonation of the alkylaromatic compounds obtained in stage c), and neutralization to give alkylarylsulfonates, where, prior to the sulfonation, linear alkylbenzenes may additionally be added, e) optional mixing of the alkylarylsulfonates obtained in stage d) with linear alkylarylsulfonates.

Abstract: Fuel and lubricant compositions contain a poly-1-n-alkenylamine as an additive.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of aldehydes by hydroformylation of olefins having more than 7 carbon atoms, comprising hydroformylation by means of a rhodium catalyst dissolved homogeneously in the reaction medium, removal of the rhodium catalyst from the hydroformylation reaction product, and recycling of the rhodium separated off from the hydroformylation product into the hydroformylation step, in which the rhodium catalyst is extracted from the hydroformylation product into the aqueous phase by means of an aqueous solution of a nitrogen-containing complexing agent from the group comprising of sulfonated pyridines, sulfonated quinolines, substituted or unsubstituted, sulfonated or sulfonated substituent-carrying 2,2'-bipyridines, 1,10-phenanthrolines, 2,2'-biquinolines, 2,2',6',2"-terpyridines and porphines, and/or from the group comprising of carboxylated pyridines, carboxylated quinolines, substituted or unsubstituted, carboxylated or carboxylated substituent-carrying 2,2'-bipyridines, 1,10-phenanthrolines

Abstract: A process for the catalytic isomerization of secondary .alpha.-alkenols of formula I ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl group or a C.sub.2 -C.sub.2 alkenyl group and in which R.sup.2 stands for hydrogen, a halogen atom, a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkoxy group, a carbonyl group, or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.20 alkyl group and in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 can be joined together to complete a five-membered or six-membered carbocyclic ring, to primary .alpha.-alkenols of formula II ##STR2## or for the isomerization of primary .alpha.-alkenols of formula II to secondary .alpha.-alkenols of formula I, wherein the isomerization is carried out in the presence of organotrioxorhenium(VII) compounds of formula III ##STR3## in which R.sup.3 is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 alkyl group, a cyclopentadienyl group substituted by from one to five C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl groups, an unsubstituted cyclopentadienyl group, a C.sub.6 -C.sub.10 aryl group, or a C.sub.7 -C.sub.

Abstract: .omega.-Formyl-C.sub.4 -C.sub.20 -alkanecarboxylic esters are prepared by reacting C.sub.4 -C.sub.20 -alkenecarboxylic esters with carbon monoxide and hydrogen at from 30.degree. to 150.degree. C. and under from 0.01 to 30 bar in the presence of rhodium carbonyl complexes which are modified with polyphosphites.

Abstract: Rhodium hydroformylation catalysts containing bisphosphite ligands of the formula I ##STR1## where -X- is a divalent bisarylene radical or R.sup.1,w is a divalent arylene, bisarylene or alkylene radical, andR.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and are substituted or unsubstituted alkylene or ortho-arylene.

Abstract: Rhodium hydroformylation catalysts containing bisphosphite ligands of the formula I ##STR1## where --X-- is a divalent bisarylene radical or R.sup.1,W is a divalent arylene, bisarylene or alkylene radical, andR.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are identical or different and are substituted or unsubstituted alkylene or ortho-arylene.

Abstract: Olefinically unsaturated compounds are hydroformylated in an organic reaction medium with the aid of rhodium complex catalysts which are soluble in the reaction medium by performing the reaction in the presence of water-insoluble rhodium complex catalysts and also in the presence of arylthiols of the general formula IAr--SH Iwhere Ar is substituted or unsubstituted aryl.

Abstract: Alkanals having a 2-alkyl branch are obtained from mixtures which contain the alkanals having a 2-alkyl branch in addition to n-alkanals, 3-alkylalkanals and/or further isomers by a process in whicha) the alkanal mixture is reacted with an aqueous formaldehyde solution in the presence of a secondary amine and of a carboxylic acid as a catalyst,b) the aqueous phase containing the catalyst and any unconverted excess formaldehyde is separated off andc) the alkanals having a 2-alkyl branch are isolated by distillation from the condensates of the other alkanals with formaldehyde.

Abstract: Octadienols are prepared by teleomerization of 1,3-butadiene with water in the presence of carbon dioxide and a catalyst system comprising a palladium compound and a tertiary phosphorus compound by performing the reaction in the presence of a strong non-coordinating acid.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of carbonyl compounds by catalyzed isomerization of allyl alcohols in a tertiary phosphine or phosphite ester in the presence of a rhodium compound at a temperature of from 80.degree. C. to 180.degree. C., a carrier gas being passed through the reaction mixture and the carbonyl compound being separated from the emergent gas mixture by cooling.

Abstract: .omega.-Formylalkanecarboxylic esters are prepared by hydroformylation of an alkenecarboxylic ester with carbon monoxide and hydrogen at elevated tempertures and under superatmospheric pressure in the presence of a cobalt carbonyl complex by a process in which an .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated alkenecarboxylic ester is hydroformylated in the presence of from 0.01 to 1 mol %, calculated as cobalt, of a cobalt carbonyl complex, while maintaining a conversion of from 10 to 70% of .alpha.,.beta.-unsaturated alkenecarboxylic esters.

Abstract: 2(5H)-furanones I ##STR1## where R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkyl, C.sub.5 - or C.sub.6 -cycloalkyl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 -aralkyl or aryl, are prepared by heating a 3-formylcarboxylate or 3-formylcarboxylic acid II ##STR2## where R.sup.3 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 -alkyl, C.sub.5 - or C.sub.6 -cycloalkyl, C.sub.7 -C.sub.12 -aralkyl or aryl, to 100.degree.-450.degree. C. in the presence of an acidic catalyst.