Patent ID: 8802873

Claim:
A process for the manufacture of epichlorohydrin, comprising: reacting allyl chloride with an oxidant in the presence of a catalyst in an aqueous reaction medium, wherein the catalyst comprises a water-soluble manganese complex and the molar ratio of allyl chloride to oxidant is from 1:0.1 to 1:1; and isolating an epichlorohydrin product, wherein the water-soluble manganese complex comprises a mononuclear manganese complex of the general formula (I): [LMnX 3 ]Y (I) or a binuclear manganese complex of the general formula (II): [LMn (μ−X ) 3 MnL]Y 2 (II) wherein Mn is a manganese; L or each L independently is a polydentate ligand; each X independently is a coordinating species: and each μ−X independently is a bridging coordinating species, selected from the group consisting of: RO − , Cl − , Br 31 , I − , F − , NCS − , N 3 − , I 3 − , NH 3 , NR 3 , RCOO − , RSO 3 − , RSO 4 − , OH − , O 2− , O 2 2− , HOO − , H 2 O , SH − , CN − , OCN − , and S4 2− and combinations thereof, wherein R is a C 1 -C 20 radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, benzyl and combinations thereof, and Y is an oxidatively-stable counterion.