Patent ID: 7141539

Claim:
A method for producing detergent molecules from butadiene comprising: dimerizing and alkoxylating butadiene with primary alkanol in the presence of one or more alkoxy substituted phosphine ligands under alkoxydimerization conditions comprising an alkoxydimerization catalyst, said alkoxydimerization conditions being effective to produce an alkoxydimerization product comprising primarily 1-alkoxy-2,7-octadienes; selectively hydrogenating the alkoxydimerization product under selective hydrogenation conditions comprising a hydrogenation catalyst effective to produce a hydrogenation product comprising primarily 1-alkoxy substituted 2-octene; and, hydroformylating and reducing said 1-alkoxy substituted 2-octene under hydroxylation conditions effective to produce a product comprising primarily 1-hydroxy-9-alkoxy nonane.