Patent ID: 6914153

Claim:
A process for the preparation of succinates substituted with unsaturated hydrocarbon groups comprising: a step (a) carried out in the presence of a reaction medium and a base in which a compound of formula (I) wherein R is a C1-C20 hydrocarbon group, R 1 is hydrogen or R, and R 1 and R can be linked together, with the proviso that when R 1 is hydrogen, R is a C4-C20 hydrocarbon group, is reacted with a compound of formula (II) wherein R 2 is a C1-C20 hydrocarbon group, R 3 is hydrogen, a C1-C20 hydrocarbon group or an alkylidene group of formula RR 1 C═, where R is a C1-C20 hydrocarbon group, R 1 is hydrogen or R, and R 1 and R can be linked together, with the proviso that when R 1 is hydrogen, R is a C4-C20 hydrocarbon group, R 4 is hydrogen or a C1-C20 hydrocarbon group, and n is 0 or 1, with the proviso that when R 3 is an alkylidene group of formula RR 1 C═, n is 0; and a step (b) in which an unsaturated substituted product obtained in (a) is esterified; where said process step (a) is carried out under conditions such that (i) the compound of formula (II) is used in a molar amount substantially equal to, or lower than, the amount of compound (I), (ii) the base is used in a molar amount substantially equal to the compound of formula (II) and is selected from the group consisting of hydrides of formula MeH Z , and alkoxides of formula R 5 OMe, wherein Me is a metal belonging to group I-II of the periodic table of elements, z is the valence of the metal and R 5 is a C1-C15 hydrocarbon group, and (iii) the reaction medium comprises an aprotic liquid medium or a protic liquid medium having a K a , measured in water, lower than that of i-PrOH.