MANUFACTURE OF AN EPOXYETHYL CARBOXYLATE OR GLYCIDYL CARBOXYLATE

摘要

The invention relates to a process for the manufacture of an epoxyethyl carboxylate or glycidyl carboxylate by catalytic oxidation of a vinyl or allyl carboxylate using an oxidant, preferably hydrogen peroxide, and a manganese complex wherein the catalytic oxidation is performed in an aqueous reaction medium, comprising water with less than 10% by volume of cosolvents, wherein a water-soluble manganese complex is used as oxidation catalyst, characterized in that the water-soluble manganese complex is a mononuclear species of the general formula (1):
€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ [LMnX 3 ]Y€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ(I)
or a binuclear species of the general formula (II):
€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ [LMn(µ-X) 3 MnL]Y 2 €ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ€ƒ(II)
wherein Mn is a manganese; L or each L independently is a polydentate ligand, each X independently is a coordinating species and each µ-X independently is a bridging coordinating species, whereas Y is an oxidatively-stable counterion, and wherein the epoxidation is carried out at a pH in the range of from 1.0. to 7.0. This invention also relates to epoxyethyl esters of neoacids having from 5 to 30 carbon atoms in the acid moiety.