Patent ID: 6844289

Claim:
A process for preparing a nickel/ligand catalyst, said process comprising: (a) contacting one molar equivalent of PCl 3 with about two molar equivalents of R 1 OH, wherein R 1 is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group, and at least two molar equivalents of an organic base at a temperature between about −25 deg C. and about 35 deg C., in a solvent to produce a first reaction product comprising a di(aryloxy) phosphorous chloride of the formula (R 1 O) 2 PCl and a salt formed from the organic base, said salt being substantially insoluble in the first reaction product; (b) contacting the first reaction product at a temperature between about −25 deg C. and about 35 deg C. with about one half molar equivalent of HO—Z—OH, wherein Z is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group different from R 1 , to produce a second reaction product comprising a solids content, provided that if less than three molar equivalents of organic base are used in step (a), then sufficient organic base is used in step (b) to bring the total amount of organic base used in steps (a) and (b) combined to at least three molar equivalents of organic base relative to the PCl 3 ; (c) separating the solids content from the second reaction product by filtration or extraction with water to produce a crude ligand mixture, said solids content comprising a salt formed from the organic base used in step (a) and optionally in step (b); (d) contacting the crude ligand mixture with at least one member selected from the group consisting of (i) a weakly acidic organic resin, (ii) a weakly basic organic resin, (iii) a high-surface-area organic resin, (iv) activated carbon, (v) aluminosilicate zeolite, (vi) a two phase solvent system for liquid-liquid extraction and (vii) a Lewis acid; (e) recovering from the product of step (d) a solution containing a ligand of the formula (R 1 O) 2 POZOP(OR 1 ) 2 ; and (f) contacting the solution of step (e) with nickel chloride in the presence of a nitrile solvent and a reducing metal which is more electropositive than nickel to produce the nickel/ligand catalyst.