Ethyl Corporation

Albemarle Corporation

The United States of America As Represented by the United States

Bp Corporation North America Inc.

Edward G Samsel

David C Eisenberg

Franke N Brooks

Christi R Bedell

Linear alpha olefins are typically produced by starting with a trialkylaluminum compound, such as triethylaluminum, and then subjecting the trialkylaluminum compound to alkyl chain growth conditions in the presence of ethylene and elevated temperature and pressure, frequently in the presence of a chain growth catalyst. Under such alkyl chain growth conditions, the alkyl groups attached to the aluminum may be extended by two carbon atoms per reaction with ethylene. The process is permitted to continue until the alkyl groups have reached the desired length at which point they are displaced from the trialkylaluminum compund as alpha olefins, usually in the presence of an excess of ethylene and a displacement catalyst. This invention discloses a new chain growth catalyst system comprising, in combination, non-bridged metallocenes and aluminum complexes having amidinate ligands and inert anions.

Process for linear alpha olefins

It has been discovered that it is possible to produce enantioselectively, a chiral 2-haloalkanoic acid or salt thereof, by subjecting a 2-halo-&agr;,&bgr;-alkenoic acid or salt, e.g., a 2-haloacrylic acid or salt, to asymmetric hydrogenation in the presence of an enantiometrically-enriched (BINAP)Ru(II) catalyst. In contrast to asymmetric hydrogenation of olefinic compounds having an electron rich, electropositive substituent in the 2-position, the substituent in the 2-position is an electronegative, electron-withdrawing halide substituent. The reaction is accelerated by inclusion of an alkali metal halide or quaternary ammonium halide in the reaction mixture.

Production of chiral non-racemic 2-halopropionic acid or salt thereof

A deep olefin internal olefin is reacted with a C.sub.3-4 primary alkyl aluminum chloride in the liquid phase in the presence of a catalyst system formed from (i) a dicyclopentadienyl dihalide or halohydride of zirconium or hafnium and (ii) a hydridic co-catalyst component. Unlike prior art procedures, negligible quantities of by-product paraffins are formed in the process.

Conversion of deep internal olefins into primary alkylaluminum compounds

An improved process for preparing an alkyl chain growth product by the chain growth reaction of .alpha.-olefin in an aluminum alkyl uses a catalyst system which comprises an actinide metallocene.

Actinide catalyzed chain growth process

An improved process for the preparation of higher aluminum alkyls by a chain growth reaction of an .alpha.-olefin and especially ethylene with a lower molecular weight aluminum alkyl or aluminum hydride uses a catalyst system which comprises at least one of (a) a metallocene of a transition metal and an aluminoxane (b) a cationic transition metal metallocene complex with an inert, non-coordinating anion, and (c) a cationic transition metal metallocene complex with an inert, non-coordinating anion and a hydrocarbylaluminoxane. Higher purity alpha olefins can be recovered by olefin displacement. Alternatively, linear primary alcohols can be produced by oxidation and hydrolysis.

Catalyzed chain growth process

A method of making substantially pure L-BPA is disclosed. The method includes the steps of reacting 4-bromobenzaldehyde with ethylene glycol to form 4-bromobenzaldehyde ethylene glycol acetal, sequentially reacting 4-bromobenzaldehyde ethyleneglycol acetal with Mg to produce the Grignard reagent and thereafter reacting with tributyl borate and then converting to an acid environment to form 4-boronobenzaldehyde, reacting 4-boronobenzaldehyde with diethanol amine to form 4-boronobenzaldehyde diethanolamine ester, condensing the 4-boronobenzaldehyde diethanolamine ester with 2-phenyl-2-oxazolin-5-one to form an azlactone, reacting the azlactone with an alkali metal hydroxide to form z-.alpha.-benzoylamino-4-boronocinnamic acid, asymmetrically hydrogenating the z-.alpha.-benzoylamino-4-boronocinnamic acid in the presence of a catalyst of a cheltate complex of rhodium (I) with chiral bisphosphines to form L-(+)-N-benzoyl-4-boronophenylalanine, and thereafter acidifying the L-(+)-N-benzoyl-4-boronophenylalanine in an organic medium to produce L-BPA.

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Baton Rouge, LA, United States of America

Edward G Samsel