Bp Chemicals Limited

Takasago International Corporation

Martin F Giles

Carl Sherman Garland

John Glenn Sunley

Hidenori Kumobayashi

Noboru Sayo

Ryoji Noyori

Michael James Baker

Andrew David Poole

Masato Kitamura

Georgios Rafeletos

A process for the production of acetic acid by carbonylation of methanol or a reactive derivative thereof by contacting the methanol or derivative with carbon monoxide in a liquid reaction composition comprising (a) acetic acid, (b) an iridium catalyst, (c) methyl iodide, (d) at least a finite quantity of water and (e) methyl acetate is improved by the use as promoter of at least one of ruthenium and osmium.

Catalyst system

In a process for the liquid phase carbonylation of an alkyl alcohol such as methanol, and/or a reactive derivative thereof to produce the corresponding carboxylic acid and/or ester, in the presence of an iridium catalyst, an alkyl halide and water, the reaction is promoted by the presence of at least one promoter selected from cadmium, mercury, zinc, gallium, indium and tungsten, optionally with a co-promoter selected from ruthenium, osmium and rhenium.

Process for the carbonylation of alkyl alcohols and/or reactive

Process for the production of acetic acid

A process for the production of a carboxylic acid by carbonylation of an alkyl alcohol or its reactive derivative comprises contacting the reactant with carbon monoxide in a liquid reaction composition comprising: (a) an iridium catalyst or rhodium catalyst, (b) alkyl halide, (c) at least a finite concentration of water and (d) rhenium as promoter.

Process for the production of a carboxylic acid

A ruthenium-phosphine complex represented by formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.2 -BINAP represents a teritary phosphine compound represented by formula (II): ##STR2## wherein R.sup.2 represents a hydrogen atom, a methyl group, a methoxy group, or a t-butyl group; X represents a halogen atom; and R and R.sup.1, which may be the same or different, each represent a phenyl group or a substituted phenyl group, and a ruthenium-phosphine complex represented by formula (III): ##STR3## wherein R and R.sup.1 are as defined above; and dma represents N,N-dimethylacetamide, which is an intermediate for synthesizing the ruthenium-phosphine complex of formula (I), are disclosed. The complex of formula (I) is useful as a catalyst for general syntheses with its ligand being an optically inactive compound or for asymmetric syntheses with its ligand being an optically active compound and, also, can be prepared at a low cost.

Ruthenium-phosphine complex and intermediate for producing the same

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Middlesex, United Kingdom

Martin F Giles