REDUCTIVE COUPLING PROCESS

摘要

The present invention provides an improvement in a process in which olefinic reactants having the formula R2C=CR-X in which -X is -CN, -CONR2 or -COOR', R is hydrogen or R' and R' is C2-C4 alkyl are reductively coupled by electrolyzing a liquid aqueous medium having a pH of 2-12 and at a temperature of between 5-75.degree.C containing the reactants in an electrolysis zone and a heavy metal passes into the medium during the electrolysis in an amount substantially greater than that soluble in the initial electrolysis medium, the improvement which comprises adding sufficient free heavy metal sequesterant to the medium during the electrolysis to maintain the heavy metal passed into the medium during the electrolysis substantially completely dissolved essentially throughout the presence of the metal in the electrolysis zone and maintaining the concentration of heavy metal dissolved in the medium essentially stable. The undesirable effects of the heavy metal in the medium are substantially lessened.