Carboxylation process for preparing linear fatty acids or esters

Claim 1

A process for preparing linear, carboxylic (fatty) acids and their ester derivatives through the catalytic reaction of alpha-olefins containing from about 3 to about 40 carbon atoms, carbon monoxide and hydroxyl-containing co-reactants by: a. admixing each molar equivalent of alpha-olefin to be carboxylated with at least a stoichiometric amount of hydroxyl-containing co-reactant selected from the group consisting of water, alkanols, alkane diols, containing 1 to 12 carbon atoms, chloroalkanols containing 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and at least a catalyst amount of ligand-stabilized palladium(II) halide complex dispersed in quaternary ammonium, phosphonium and arsonium salts of trihalostannate(II) or trihalogermanate(II) selected from the group consisting of: [(C 2 H 5 ) 4 N][SnCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(p-CH 3 .C 6 H 4 ) 3 ] 2 [(c 2 h 5 ) 4 n][snCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 [clCH 2 (C 6 H 5 ) 3 P][SnCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 [(n-C 4 H 9 ) 4 N][SnCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 [(c 6 h 5 ) 4 as][SnCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 [(c 7 h 15 ) 4 n][snCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 [(c 2 h 5 ) 4 n][snCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(p-CH 3 O.C 6 H 4 ) 3 ] 2 [(c 2 h 5 ) 4 n][snCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(CH 3 ) 2 C 6 H 5 ] 2 [(c 2 h 5 ) 4 n][geCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [P(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 [(c 2 h 5 ) 4 n][geCl 3 ]-PdCl 2 [As(C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] 2 wherein the molar ratio of quaternary tin(II) or germanium(II) salt to palladium is between 2 to 10 to 1, in a substantially oxygen-free environment, in the present of at least a stoichiometric amount of carbon monoxide with respect to olefin, at superatmospheric pressures of carbon monoxide of at least 100 psig, to form a pressurized reaction mixture; b. heating said reaction mixture at temperatures ranging from about 25° to 120°C for a time sufficient to substantially carboxylate said alpha-olefin to the corresponding carboxylic (fatty) acid or ester, and c. isolating said carboxylated products prepared therein.