Patent ID: 7423171

Claim:
A one-pot process for the synthesis of isocyanates, polyisocyanates or mixtures thereof, which comprises the steps of: i. preparing a mixture comprising an amine, an alcohol, an oxygen-containing gas, carbon monoxide, a metal complex catalyst selected from the group consisting of macrocyclic complex catalysts and cobalt Shiff base catalysts; and a solvent selected from the group consisting of aliphatic or aromatic halocarbons, perhalogenated alcohols, halogenated ethers, halogenated ketones, perfluorinated hydrocarbons, polymers of chlorotrifluoroethylene having the formula —(CF 2 —CFCl) n wherein n is between 2 and 10, and mixtures thereof; ii. subjecting the resulting mixture to a first heating under pressure; iii. cooling and depressurizing the mixture resulting from the previous step; and iv. subjecting the mixture of the previous step to a second heating to separate out an isocyanate product from the mixture.