摘要 |
Alkylene oxide adducts of organic compounds having an active hydrogen are prepared by a process in which an active hydrogen reactant and an alkylene oxide reactant are reacted in the presence of a catalytically effective amount of one or more bimetaliic oxo compounds of the formula (RO)nM-O-M min -O-M(OR)n, wherein each R is (independently) an optionally-substituted organic moiety, M min is a divalent metal selected from the elements of Groups Va, VIa, and VIIa of the Periodic Table, each M is (independently) a trivalent or tetravalent metal, and each n is 2 if the adjacent M is trivalent or 3 if the adjacent M is tetravalent. The products are useful, for instance, as nonionic surfactants in detergent formulations. In certain preferred embodiments, the process yields a product having a very desirable distribution of alkylene oxide adducts. |