Abstract: The invention relates to phosphinite phosphites I of formula 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 and mixtures thereof, wherein R1, R2, R4 independently represent an alkyl or alkylene group with 1 to 8 carbon atoms, provided that at least one of the groups R1, R2, R4 is different from H; R5 to R22 independently represent H, an alkyl or alkylene group with 1 to 8 carbon atoms; R3 is H, methyl or ethyl; X is F, Cl or CF3, if n=1 or 2 and X is H, if n=0.

Abstract: A process for hydrocyanating an olefinically unsaturated nitrile in the presence of an Ni(0)-containing catalyst, which comprises carrying out the reaction in the presence of a hydrocarbon which leads under certain pressure, concentration and temperature conditions to the formation of at least two liquid phases of the overall system, of which one phase has a higher proportion of the Ni(0)-containing catalyst, based on the total weight of this phase, than the other phase or other phases.

Abstract: The invention is a process for preparing tetraalkyl-substituted biphenol which comprises reacting a 2,4- or 2,6-dialkyl substituted phenol in which the alkyl groups contain 1 to 6 carbon atoms with a peroxidase enzyme in the presence of a peroxide in an aqueous medium to yield a tetraalkyl-substituted biphenol by oxidative coupling of the 2,4- or 2,6-dialkyl substituted phenol, or yielding a tetra-alkyl substituted quinone, and reducing the quinone to obtain a tetraalkyl-substituted biphenol. The invention further includes a process for preparing a tetraaryl-substituted biphenol in which the aryl groups contain 6 to 10 carbon atoms which comprises racting a 2,4 or 2,6 diarylphenol with a peroxidase enzyme to yield a tetraaryl-substituted biphenol. A process for reducing a tetraalkyl-substituted quinone to corresponding tetraalkyl-substituted biphenol which comprises reducing the quinone with a phenol in an aqueous medium at a temperature of about 60° to 120° C. is also included.