Patent ID: 7396964

Claim:
Process for preparing enantiomerically enriched 2-butanol, comprising reducing enantiomerically enriched 1,2-epoxybutane with hydrogen in the presence of palladium compounds and a vicinal diamine wherein the palladium compounds are compounds selected from the group consisting of formula (Ia) and formula (Ib) M 2 [Pd(Hal) 4 ] (Ia), Pd(Hal) 2 (Ib) in which M is lithium, sodium, potassium, ammonium or organic ammonium and Hal is chloride, bromide or iodide wherein the palladium compounds are formed by reacting formula (Ia) and/or formula (Ib) with hydroxide in the presence of a support thereby forming a resulting product wherein the resultingnroduct com rises the palladium compound applied to the support, and wherein the resulting product and the vicinal diamine are added directly to the enantiomerically enriched 1,2-epoxybutane.