Patent ID: 7858787

Claim:
A process for converting an olefin having x carbon atoms into an olefin having x+1 carbon atoms which comprises the steps of: (i) reacting an olefin having x carbon atoms with carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a hydroformylation catalyst to produce an alcohol having x+1 carbon atoms, and (ii) dehydrating the alcohol produced in step (i) in the presence of a dehydration catalyst to produce an olefin having x+1 carbon atoms characterised in that the hydroformylation catalyst used in step (i) is based on: (a) a source of cobalt, and (b) a ligand selected from: (i) a ligand of general formula (I): R 1 R 2 P—R 3 (I) wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently a hydrocarbyl group with C 1 -C 12 carbon atoms or together with the phosphorus atom P represent an optionally substituted cyclic group with at least 5 ring atoms; and wherein R 3 is a monovalent radical of general formula: —R 4 —C(O)NR 5 R 6 (II) wherein R 4 is an alkylene group and R 5 and R 6 independently represent an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl or heteroaryl group; (ii) a ligand of general formula (III): R 1 R 2 P—R 4 —C(O)N(R 7 )—R 8 —N(R 7 )C(O)—R 4 —PR 1 R 2 (III) wherein R 1 , R 2 and R 4 are as defined above, wherein R 7 independently represents an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkaryl or heteroaryl group, and wherein R 8 represents an alkylene, cycloalkylene, arylene or alkarylene group; and (iii) a ligand of general formula (IV): R 1 R 2 P—R 4 —C(O)N—(R 8 ) 2 —NC(O)—R 4 —PR 1 R 2 (IV) wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 4 and R 8 are as defined above; and mixtures thereof.