Patent ID: 7265240

Claim:
A process for the carbonylation of C 3 -C 20 ethylenically unsaturated compounds which process comprises reacting said C 3 -C 20 ethylenically unsaturated compound with carbon monoxide in the presence of a source of hydroxyl groups and of a catalyst system, the catalyst system obtainable by combining: (a) a metal of Group VIII or a compound thereof: and (b) a bidentate phosphine, stibine or arsine of general formula (I) wherein: Ar is a bridging group comprising an optionally substituted aryl moiety to which the phosphorus 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 (CR 13 (R 14 )(R 15 ))CR 16 (R 17 )(R 18 ) 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 , C(O)SR 27 ; R 1 to R 18 each independently represent lower alkyl, aryl, or Het; R 19 to R 27 each independently represent hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl or Het; each of Q 1 , Q 2 and Q 3 is independently selected from the group consisting of phosphorous, arsenic or antimony; wherein the carbonylation reaction is carried out at a temperature of between −30° C. to 49° C. and under a CO partial pressure of less than 30×10 5 N.m −2 .