Production of carboxylic acids and esters thereof

摘要

A process for the production from an alcohol having n carbon atoms, wherein n is a number from 1 to 20, of a carboxylic acid having n+1 carbon atoms and/or an ester of the alcohol having n carbon atoms with the carboxylic acid by reacting the alcohol at a temperature of at least 50 DEG C. with carbon monoxide in the presence of a noble metal-containing heterogeneous catalyst and a halogen or halogen compound promoter characterized in that the catalyst comprises a noble metal component bonded to an inorganic oxide having surface hydroxyl groups through the intermediacy of a silicon compound which is condensible with the hydroxyl groups of the inorganic oxide and has either (i) at least one nitrogen or phosphorus-containing functional group capable of coordinating with the noble metal component or (ii) a functional group capable of reacting further with a nitrogen- or phosphorus-containing functional group capable of coordinating with the noble metal component thereby to bond the nitrogen- or phosphorus-containing functional group to the silicon compound.