Heterogeneous catalyst for the production of acetic anhydride from methyl acetate

摘要

Acetic anhydride is produced by reaction of methyl acetate (or dimethyl ether and acetic acid), carbon monoxide, and hydrogen in the presence of an alkyl halide and a heterogeneous, bifunctional catalyst that contains an insoluble polymer having pendant quaternized phosphine groups, some of which phosphine groups are ionically bonded to anionic Group 9 or 10 (post-1986 IUPAC-recommended nomenclature) metal complexes, the remainder of the phosphine groups being bonded to iodide. In contrast to prior art processes, no accelerator (promoter) is necessary to achieve the catalytic reaction and the products are easily separated from the catalyst by filtration.