Liquid phase preparation of (meth)-acrylate from alpha-olefin

摘要

A liquid phase process for the preparation of an (meth)-acrylate, such as methyl methacrylate, in the presence of water and a bi-functional, heterogeneous catalyst which contains both acidic and noble metal functional groups. The preferred (meth)-acrylate is methyl methacrylate (MMA). A surprising amount of MMA is produced, in spite of a competitive side reaction which produces methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE).