Liquid phase process for the preparation of unsaturated esters by the oxidation of olefins with a group viii noble metal catalyst in the presence of an organic copper salt and a nitrile

Claim 1

A LIQUID PHASE PROCESS FOR THE PREPARATION OF UNSATURATED ESTERS WHICH COMPRISES REACTING AN UNSATURATED ORGANIC COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKENES, BUTADIENE, STYRENE, P-CHLOROSTYRENE, ALLYL ACETATE, ALLYL BENZENE, ETHYL ACRYLATE AND HEXADIENE-1,5 WITH AN ORGANIC CUPRIC SALT HAVING THE FORMULA CU(OOCR'')2, WHEREIN R'' IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF HYDROGEN, ALKYL, ARYL AND CHLOROALKYL RADICALS HAVING FROM 1 TO 17 CARBON ATOMS, IN THE PRESENCE OF A NITRILE HAVING THE FORMULA R"C$N WHEREIN R" IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL, ARYL AND CHLOROALKYL RADICALS HAVING FROM 1 TO 17 CARBON ATOMS, AND A CATALYTIC AMOUNT OF A SOLID, GROUP VIII NOBLE METAL-CONTAINING CATALYST SELECTED FROM PLATINUM AND PALLADIUM GROUP METALS, OXIDES AND SALTS THEREOF, SAID REACTION BEING CARRIED OUT UNDER SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS CONDITIONS AND IN THE ABSENCE OF ADDED ORGANIC ACID.