Patent ID: 7253325

Claim:
A process for the preparation of alkylene glycols comprising reacting an alkylene oxide with water in the presence of a compound selected from the group consisting of wherein R3 is an alkyl or cycloalkyl and wherein R4-7 are hydrogen, alkyl or cycloalkyl and may be same or different, R2 is, alkyl or aryl or cycloalkyl or alkylamino of two to six carbon atoms, halogen, alkenyl of two to six carbon atoms, hydroxyl, nitro, thiol, amine, amino, imine, amide, phosphoryl, phosphonate, phosphine or carbonyl and R2 may be also be hydrogen in structure II and M is a metal of Group 4-14, wherein the process is carried out at a molar ratio of water to alkylene oxide in the range from about 5 to 25, and wherein the compound is not non-racemic.