Patent ID: 6911505

Claim:
A process for the production of alpha-olefins comprising: contacting a compound of Formula I: with an alpha-olefin and: (a) a first compound W, which is a neutral Lewis acid capable of abstracting X − , an alkyl group, or a hydride group from Co to form WX − , (WR 20 )− or WH − and which is also capable of transferring an alkyl group or a hydride to Co, provided that WX − is a weakly coordinating anion; or (b) a combination of second compound which is capable of transferring an alkyl or hydride group to Co and a third compound which is a neutral Lewis acid which is capable of abstracting X − , a hydride or an alkyl group from Co to form a weakly coordinating anion; wherein: each X is an anion; n is 1, 2 or 3 so that the total number of negative charges on said anion or anions is equal to the oxidation state of a Co atom present in Formula I; R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, substituted hydrocarbyl, or an inert functional group; R 4 and R 5 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, an inert functional group or substituted hydrocarbyl; R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 14 , R 15 and R 16 are each independently hydrogen, hydrocarbyl, an inert functional group or substituted hydrocarbyl; R 8 and R 17 are each hydrogen, fluorine, an inert functional group, a primary carbon group, a secondary carbon group or a tertiary carbon group; and R 20 is alkyl; and provided that: when R 8 is a primary carbon group none, one or two of R 12 , R 13 and R 17 are primary carbon groups, secondary carbon groups, or inert functional groups, and the remainder of R 12 , R 13 , and R 17 are hydrogen or fluorine; when R 8 is a secondary carbon group, none or one or two of R 12 , R 13 and R 17 is a primary carbon group or a secondary carbon group or an inert functional group and the remainder of R 12 , R 13 and R 17 are hydrogen or fluorine; when R 8 is a tertiary carbon group all of R 12 , R 13 , and R 17 are hydrogen or fluorine; and any two of R 8 , R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , R 13 , R 14 , R 15 , R 16 and R 17 vicinal to one another, taken together may form a ring.