Patent ID: 7728176

Claim:
A process for producing a phosphonium borate compound, which comprises the following steps 1 and 2: (step 1) reacting a phosphine with HCl to produce a phosphine hydrochloride, the phosphine being represented by Formula (II): (R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )P (II) wherein R 1 is a primary alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a secondary alkyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a tertiary alkyl group of 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or a cycloalkyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms; R 2 is a hydrogen atom, a primary alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a secondary alkyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a tertiary alkyl group of 4 to 20 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group of 7 to 20 carbon atoms, or an allyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms; R 3 is a hydrogen atom, a primary alkyl group of 1 to 20 carbon atoms, a secondary alkyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a tertiary alkyl group of 4 to 20 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms, an aryl group of 6 to 30 carbon atoms, an aralkyl group of 7 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkenyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, an alkynyl group of 2 to 20 carbon atoms, or an allyl group of 3 to 20 carbon atoms; and R 1 , R 2 and R 3 may be the same or different from one another; the phosphine hydrochloride being represented by Formula (III): (R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )PH.Cl (III) wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are as defined in Formula (II); and (step 2) reacting the phosphine hydrochloride with a tetraarylborate compound represented by Formula (IV): M.BAr 4 (IV) wherein M is lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium halide or calcium halide, and Ar is an aryl group of 6 to 20 carbon atoms; the phosphonium borate compound being represented by Formula (I): (R 1 )(R 2 )(R 3 )PH.BAr 4 (I) wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are as defined in Formula (II), and Ar is as defined in Formula (IV); wherein step 1 is conducted in the absence of the tetraaryl borate compound used in step 2 and wherein the solution of the phosphine hydrochloride obtained in Step 1 and provided for step 2 is not subjected to concentration.