Abstract: A C4-olefin mixture having a 1,3-butadiene content of from 100 to 500 ppm and a content of 1,2-dienes of less than 10 ppm is described. The present invention further provides a process for preparing this C4-olefin mixture and provides for its use in a metathesis reaction for preparing 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene.

Abstract: A C4-olefin mixture having a 1,3-butadiene content of from 100 to 500 ppm and a content of 1,2-dienes of less than 10 ppm is described. The present invention further provides a process for preparing this C4-olefin mixture and provides for its use in a metathesis reaction for preparing 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene.

Abstract: A C4-olefin mixture having a 1,3-butadiene content of from 100 to 500 ppm and a content of 1,2-dienes of less than 10 ppm is described. The present invention further provides a process for preparing this C4-olefin mixture and provides for its use in a metathesis reaction for preparing 2-pentene and/or 3-hexene.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for preparing formic acid, in which catalytic hydrogenation of carbon dioxide with hydrogen over a catalyst which comprises a metal of groups 8 to 10 of the Periodic Table in the presence of a primary, secondary and/or tertiary amine generates the corresponding ammonium formate and the ammonium formate is split by heating into formic acid and the amine, which comprises selecting the primary, secondary or tertiary amine from the amines of the formula I or mixtures thereof where R1 to R3 are the same or different and are each hydrogen, linear or branched alkyl radicals having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloaliphatic radicals having from 5 to 7 carbon atoms, aryl radicals and/or arylalkyl radicals, and at least one of the R1 to R3 radicals bears a hydroxyl group, and performing the hydrogenation in a solvent which has a boiling point of 105° C.

Abstract: A process for continuously preparing a compound which bears at least two functional groups which are each independently selected from the group consisting of nitrile group, carboxylic acid group, carboxylic ester group and carboxamide group.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing dialdehydes and/or ethylenically unsaturated monoaldehydes by reacting at least one compound with at least two ethylenically unsaturated double bonds with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a hydroformylating catalyst with at least one complex of a metal of subgroup VIII. The subgroup comprises at least pnicogen chelate ligands.

Abstract: A process for the separation of palladium from solvent-free at room temperature solid crude reaction mixtures comprising aryl acetic acids of the general formula (I), wherein Z means phenyl, napht-2-yl, 9H-fluoren-2-yl, substituted carbazol-2-yl, benzoxazol-5-yl, either of which can be substituted with H, C1-C8-alkyl optionally cyclic and optionally substituted with —F or —Cl, C6-C10-aryl optionally substituted with F or Cl OR4, COR5, F, —Cl; optionally substituted pyrrolyl or dehydropyrrolyl or 1-oxo-1,3-dehydro-isoindol 2-yl; R1 means H or C1-C4-alkyl; R2, R3, R4, R5 mean independently of each other H, C1-C8 alkyl, C6-C10-aryl optionally substituted with —F or Cl, or thiophenyl; which crude mixture is obtained by palladium catalyzed carbonylation, by adsorption of the palladium on solid adsorbents, characterized in that the adsorption is carried out in the absence of a reducing agent for palladium and at a temperature, where the crude reaction mixture is molten.

Abstract: A compound of formula (I) suitable as a catalyst or for the preparation of a catalyst system: L1-X-L2 ??(I) is provided, in which X is a lower alkylene group, an arylene group or an alkarylene group; L1 is in which Y1 is oxygen, sulfur or N—R17, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15, R16 and R17 independently of one another being hydrogen, alkyl or aryl; and L2 is in which Y2 is oxygen, sulfur or N—R27, R21, R22, R23, R24, R25, R26 and R27 independently of one another being hydrogen, alkyl or aryl, it being possible for L1 and L2 to be identical or different.

Abstract: A system comprising a diphosphine of the formula R1>P—(CH)n—PR2R3 where R1 is a divalent radical which together with the phosphorus atom to which it is linked forms an unsubstituted or substituted 2-phosphatricyclo[3.3.1.1{3,7}]decyl group or a derivative thereof in which one or more of the carbon atoms are replaced by heteroatoms, R2, R3 are each, independently of one another, a monovalent radical having from 1 to 20 atoms or together form a divalent radical having from 2 to 20 atoms, n is 4 or 5, and a mixture of such diphosphines, and palladium or a palladium compound is suitable as carbonylation catalyst for the carbonylation of a conjugated diene.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for preparing 1,6-hexanediol having a purity of ?99.5% by weight by catalytically dimerizing acrylic esters and catalytically hydrogenating the hexenedioic diesters obtained in this way to 1,6-hexanediol by a) dimerizing C1- to C8-acrylic esters in the presence of at least one rhodium compound to give mixtures of predominantly 2- and 3-hexenedioic diesters, b) hydrogenating the resulting dimerizing effluent in the presence of chromium-free catalysts comprising predominantly copper as the hydrogenation component and c) purifying the crude 1,6-hexanediol obtained in this way by fractional distillation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the preparation of methyl formate by reacting methanol with carbon monoxide at a pressure of from 0.5 to 10 MPa abs. and a temperature of from 50 to 150° C. in the presence of a metal alkoxide as catalyst in a reactor, in which a gas stream is withdrawn from the reactor, entrained methyl formate is removed from this gas stream by condensation, and all or some of the remaining gas stream is returned to the reactor as circulating-gas stream and a mean gas superficial velocity of from 1 to 20 cm/s is set in at least one region of the reactor in which the gas flows essentially in one direction.

Abstract: The invention relates to phosphacyclohexanes of general formulae I and II, wherein the following designations, among others, apply: R can represent hydrogen, C1-100-alkyl, C7-20-aralkyl, C7-20-alkaryl, and C6-12-aryl: R1 to R10 can independently represent hydrogen, C1-20-alkyl, C7-20-aralkyl, C7-20-alkaryl, and C6-12-aryl: W, W? can independently represent single bonds or bridges comprising 1 to 20 carbon atoms, which can form part of a cyclic or aromatic group and can be interrupted by heteroatoms. Said phosphacyclohexanes are used as ligands in transition metal complexes of transition metals belonging to groups VIII to X of the periodic table.

Abstract: Novel compounds of phosphorus, of arsenic and of antimony can be used as ligands to form complexes of metals of transition group VIII which can be used in catalysts for hydroformylation, hydrocyanation, carbonylation, hydrogenations, oligomerization and polymerization of olefins and for metathesis.

Abstract: A process for preparing a C13-alcohol mixture comprises a) bringing a butene-containing C4-hydrocarbon stream containing less than 5% by weight, based on the butene fraction, of isobutene into contact with a nickel-containing heterogeneous catalyst at elevated temperature, b) isolating a C12-olefin fraction from the reaction mixture, c) hydroformylating the C12-olefin fraction by reaction with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a cobalt catalyst and d) hydrogenating the product from c). The alcohol mixture is suitable for preparing surfactants by alkoxylation, glycosidation, sulfation, phosphation, alkoxylation and subsequent sulfation or alkoxylation and subsequent phosphation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst system for carbonylating olefinically or acetylenically unsaturated compounds with carbon monoxide and a nucleophile compound, containing (a) palladium; (b) a phosphine and (c) a polymer containing nitrogen which is soluble in the reaction mixture, with the exception of polyvinyl polymers with aromatic radicals containing nitrogen on the polymer chain. The invention also relates to a method for carbonylation in the presence of one such catalyst system.

Abstract: A process is described for preparing acid formates in which methyl formate is reacted with water and a basic compound having a pKa of the conjugate acid of the corresponding dissociation state of ?3 measured at 25° C. in aqueous solution, the methanol formed is separated off and, optionally, the desired acid content is set by adding formic acid.

Abstract: The invention describes a process for the preparation of surfactant alcohols and surfactant alcohol ethers which are, inter alia, highly suitable as surfactants or for the preparation of surfactants. The process, starting from olefin mixtures having a defined minimum content of linear hexenes, gives mixtures having a predominant fraction of branched dodecenes, which are subsequently derivatized to give surfactant alcohols and then optionally alkoxylated. The surfactant alcohol mixture obtained in the process has a degree of branching of from 2.0 to 3.0 and in particular exhibits advantageous properties as regards ecotoxicity and biodegradability. A description is also given of the use of the surfactant alcohols and surfactant alcohol ethers as surfactants by glycosidation or polyglycosidation, sulfation or phosphation.

Abstract: A catalyst comprising at least one complex of a metal of transition group VIII comprising at least one monodentate, bidentate or multidentate phosphinamidite ligand in which the phosphorus atom and the oxygen atom of the phosphinamidite group form part of a 5- to 8-membered heterocycle can be used for the hydroformylation and hydrocyanation of compounds containing at least one ethylenically unsaturated double bond. The phosphinamidite ligand is, for example, represented by the following formulae wherein represents an optionally substituted 5- to 8-membered heterocycle wherein A represents carbon ring members; represents an optionally substituted N-bonded heterocycle wherein (Het) indicates optional ring heteroatoms in addition to the N; and B is a carbon-carbon single bond or a divalent bridging group.

Abstract: Essentially monounsaturated polyalkylenes having from 30 to 700 carbon atoms are continuously hydroformylated by a process in which i) a hydroformylation-active cobalt carbonyl catalyst is prepared from a catalyst precursor dissolved in an aqueous phase in the absence of the polyalkylenes, ii) the polyalkylenes are hydroformylated by means of synthesis gas in the presence of the cobalt carbonyl catalyst in a reaction zone, iii) the cobalt carbonyl catalyst is separated from the output from the reaction zone with at least partial reformation of the catalyst precursor and the catalyst precursor is recirculated to step i).

Abstract: Process for the carbonylation of n-pentenoic acid or its derivatives of the formula (I) C4H7—R1??(I) where R1 is —CN or COOR2 where R2 is hydrogen, alkyl or aryl by reaction of a compound of the formula (I) with carbon monoxide and a compound (II) containing a hydroxyl group in the presence of a catalyst system, wherein the catalyst system is obtainable by reaction of a) a source for a metal ion of a metal (III) of the 8th subgroup of the Periodic Table of the Elements with b) a bidentate phosphine ligand of the formula (IV) (R3R4R5C)(R6R7R8C)P-L1-X-L2-P(CR9R10R11) (CR12R13R14)??(IV) where R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14 independently of one another is an organic radical which in each case contains a carbon atom, via which the respective radical is linked to the relevant tertiary carbon atom mentioned in formula (IV); L1, L2 independently of one another are a lower alkylene group; X is an arylene group.