Patent ID: 7772419

Claim:
A process for the alkoxycarbonylation of a vinyl ester to give predominantly linear product comprising reacting a vinyl ester with carbon monoxide in the presence of an alkanol and of a catalyst system, the catalyst system obtainable by combining: (a) a metal of Group VIII B or a compound thereof: and (b) a bidentate ligand of general formula (I) wherein: the bridging group R is defined as -A-(K,D)Ar(E,Z)—B— wherein: Ar is a bridging group comprising an optionally substituted aryl moiety to which the Q 1 and Q 2 atoms are linked on available adjacent carbon atoms; A and B each independently represent lower alkylene; K, D, E and Z are substituents of the aryl moiety (Ar) and each independently represent hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl, Het, halo, cyano, nitro, OR 19 , OC(O)R 20 , C(O)R 21 , C(O)OR 22 , NR 23 R 24 , C(O)NR 25 R 26 , C(S)R 25 R 26 , SR 27 , C(O)SR 27 , or -J-Q 3 (X 5 )X 6 where J represents lower alkylene; or two adjacent groups selected from K, Z, D and E together with the carbon atoms of the aryl ring to which they are attached form a further phenyl ring, which is optionally substituted by one or more substituents selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl, halo, cyano, nitro, OR 19 , OC(O)R 20 , C(O)R 21 , C(O)OR 22 , NR 23 R 24 , C(O)NR 25 R 26 , C(S)R 25 R 26 , SR 27 or C(O)SR 27 or, when Ar is a cyclopentadienyl group, Z may be represented by -M(L 1 ) n (L 2 ) m and Z is connected via a metal ligand bond to the cyclopentadienyl group; X 5 represents CR 13 (R 14 )(R 15 ), congressyl or adamantyl, X 6 represents CR 16 (R 17 )(R 18 ), congressyl or adamantyl, or X 5 and X 6 together with Q 3 to which they are attached form an optionally substituted 2-Q 3 -tricyclo[3.3.1.1.{3,7}] decyl group or derivative thereof in which one or more of the carbon atoms are replaced by heteroatoms; R 1 together with Q 2 to which it is attached form an optionally substituted 2-Q 2 -tricyclo[3.3.1.1{3,7}]decyl group or derivative thereof in which one or more of the carbon atoms are replaced by heteroatoms; R2 and R3 independently represent univalent radicals containing up to 20 atoms or jointly form a bivalent radical of up to 20 atoms; Q1 and Q2 each independently represent phosphorus, arsenic or antimony.