Patent ID: 7371705

Claim:
A catalyst system capable of catalysing the carbonylation of an olefinally unsaturated compound, which catalyst system is obtainable by combining: (a) a metal of Group VIB or Group VIIIB or a compound thereof: and (b) a bidentate phosphine of general formula (I) (Ad) s (CR 4 R 5 R 6 ) T Q 2 -A-(K,D)Ar(E,Z)-B-Q 1 (Ad) u (CR 1 R 2 R 3 ) v (1) 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 10 , OC(O)R 11 , C(O)R 12 , C(O)OR 13 , NR 14 R 15 , C(O)NR 16 R 17 , C(S)R 16 R 17 , SR 18 , C(O)SR 18 , or -J-Q 3 (Ad) w (CR 7 (R 8 )(R 9 )) x 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 10 , OC(O)R 11 , C(O)R 12 , C(O)OR 13 , NR 14 R 15 , C(O)NR 16 R 17 , C(S)R 16 R 17 , SR 18 or C(O)SR 18 ; R 1 to R 6 each independently represent lower alkyl, aryl, or Het; Ad each independently represent an optionally substituted adamantyl radical bonded to the phosphorous atom via any one of its tertiary carbon atoms, the said optional substitution being by one or more substituents selected from hydrogen, lower alkyl, halo, cyano, nitro, OR 10 , OC(O)R 11 , C(O)R 12 , C(O)OR 13 , NR 14 R 15 , C(O)NR 16 R 17 , C(S)R 16 R 17 , SR 18 or C(O)SR 18 ; R 10 to R 18 each independently represent hydrogen, lower alkyl, aryl or Het; S & U=0, 1 or 2 provided that S+U≧1; T & V=0, 1 or 2 provided that T+V≦3; W & X=0, 1 or 2; Q 1 , Q 2 and Q 3 (when present) each independently represent phosphorous, arsenic or antimony and in the latter two cases references to phosphine or phosphorous above should be varied accordingly.