PROCESS FOR MAKING 1,3-DIOLS AND 3-HYDROXYALDEHYDES.

摘要

This invention relates to a process for making 1,3-diols and 3-hydroxyaldehydes by hydroformylating 1,2-epoxides which process comprises intimately contacting (a) a 1,2-epoxide having more than 2 carbon atoms, (b) ditertiary phosphine-modified cobalt carbonyl catalyst, said phosphine comprising a hydrocarbylene-bis(monophosphabicyclo-alkane) in which each phosphorus atom is joined to hydrocarbylene and is a member of a bridge linkage without being a bridgehead atom and which hydrocarbylene-bis(monophosphabicycloalkane) has 11 to 300 carbon atoms; of which 5 to 12 carbon atoms together with a phosphorus atom are members of each of the two bicyclic skeletal structures, (c) carbon monoxide, and (d) hydrogen, the molar ratio of carbon monoxide to hydrogen being from 4:1 to 1:6, preferably from 1:1 to 1:4 in liquid-phase solution in an inert reaction solvent, at a temperature of from 30 to 150 DEG C and a pressure of from 345 to 68948 kPa (50 to 10,000 psi).