Patent ID: 7476769

Claim:
A method for the hydroperoxide functionalization of an olefinic feed stream comprising: (a) providing an oxidation reactor containing a permeable catalyst bed comprising a light induced photosensitized catalyst component effective for the conversion of triplet oxygen to singlet oxygen, wherein said catalyst is supported on a particulate substrate material forming a permeable catalyst bed; (b) supplying an oxygen containing feed stream containing triplet oxygen to said catalyst bed; (c) irradiating said catalyst bed while said oxygen containing feed stream is flowing through said catalyst bed with electromagnet radiation in the ultraviolet or visual light range at an intensity sufficient to convert triplet oxygen in said stream to singlet oxygen in the presence of said catalyst to produce a singlet oxygen enriched gas stream; (d) supplying said singlet oxygen enriched gas stream into a second reactor containing a solution of an olefinic component having an allylic hydrogen in a carrier solvent; (e) contacting said solution with said singlet oxygen enriched gas stream under conditions effective to cause an allylic rearrangement and introduce hydroperoxide functionalization into said olefinic component; (f) recovering a hydroperoxide functionalized olefinic component from said second reactor.