Phosphite compounds and novel phosphite metal complexes

1. A phosphite of the formula I:

where R A is a monovalent unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, or mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms;

or a monovalent aromatic which is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one radical selected from among alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, F, Cl, Br, I, -CF 3 , -CH 2 (CF 2 ), CF 3 where j=0 —9, -OR 9 , -COR 9 , -CO 2 R 9 , -CO 2 M, -SR 9 , -SO 3 R 9 , -SO 3 M, -SO 2 NR 9 R 10 or - N=CR 9 R 10 ;

or a monovalent heteroaromatic which is unsubstituted or substituted by at least one radical selected from among aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radicals having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, F, Cl, Br, I, -CF 3 , -CH 2 (CF 2 ), CF 3 where j=0 —9, -OR 9 , -COR 9 , -CO 2 R 9 , -CO 2 M, -SR 9 , -SO 2 R 9 , -SOR 9 , -SO 3 M, -SO 2 NR 9 R 10 ,-NR 9 R 10 or -N=CR 9 R 10 .

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each independently a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, H, F, Cl, Br, I, —CF 3 , —CH 2 (CF 2 ) j CF 3 where j=0–9, —OR 9 , —COR 9 , —CO 2 R 9 , —CO 2 M, —SR 9 , —SO 2 R 9 , —SOR 9 , —SO 3 R 9 , —SO 3 M, —SO 2 NR 9 R 10 , —NR 9 R 10 , —N═CR 9 R 10 , where R 9 and R 10 are each independently a H, monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, and M is an alkali metal ion, an alkaline earth metal ion, an ammonium ion or phosphonium ion;

or adjacent radicals R 1 to R 4 together form a fused substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, heteroaromatic, aliphatic, mixed aromaticaliphatic or mixed heteroaromatic-aliphatic ring system; and

and k=0 or 1,

wherein

when R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each an H atom and k=0, R A is not an alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl or cycloalkyl group, and when R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each an H atom and k=1, R A is not an alkyl or aryl group; or of the formula A, E, F, G, O or M:

2. The phosphite as claimed in claim 1 , wherein R A is an aromatic or heteroaromatic group which have one or more aromatic, heteroaromatic, or aliphatic rings which are unsubstituted or substituted by at least one of an aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, F, Cl, Br, I, —CF 3 , —CH 2 (CF 2 ) j CF 3 where j=0—9, —OR 9 , —COR 9 , —CO 2 R 9 , —CO 2 M, —SR 9 , —SO 2 R 9 , —SOR 9 , —SO 3 R 9 , —SO 3 M, —SO 2 NR 9 R 10 , —NR 9 R 10 or —N═CR 9 R 10 .

3. The phosphite as claimed in claim 1 , wherein adjacent radicals R 2 to R 4 together form a fused aromatic, heteroaromatic, aliphatic, mixed aromatic-aliphatic or mixed heteroaromatic-aliphatic ring system which is unsubstituted or is substituted by at least one of an aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, F, Cl, Br, I, —CF 3 , —CH 2 (CF 2 ) j CF 3 where j=0–9, —OR 9 , —COR 9 , —CO 2 R 9 , —CO 2 M, —SR 9 , —SO 2 R 9 , —SOR 9 , —SO 3 R 9 , —SO 3 M, —SO 2 NR 9 R 10 , —NR 9 R 10 or —N═CR 9 R 10 .

4. A phosphite-metal complex comprising a metal of group 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 of the Periodic Table of the Elements and one or more phosphites of the formula I:

where R A is a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic and mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms;

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each independently a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, H, F, Cl, Br, I, —CF 3 , —CH 2 (CF 2 ) j CF 3 where j=0 –9, —OR 9 , —COR 9 , —CO 2 R 9 , —CO 2 M, —SR 9 , —SO 2 R 9 , —SOR 9 , —SO 3 R 9 , —SO 3 M, —SO 2 NR 9 R 10 , —NR 9 R 10 , —N═CR 9 R 10 , where R 9 and R 10 are each a H, monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms and M is an alkali metal ion, an alkaline earth metal ion, an ammonium ion or phosphonium ion:

or adjacent radicals R 1 to R 4 together form a fused substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, heteroaromatic, aliphatic, mixed aromatic-aliphatic or mixed heteroaromatic-aliphatic ring system; and

and k=0 or 1.

5. The phosphite-metal complex as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the radical R A an aromatic or heteroaromatic group which may be unsubstituted or substituted by at least one of an aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphaticaromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms, F, Cl, Br, I, —CF 3 , —CH 2 (CF 2 ) j CF 3 where j=0–9, —OR 1 , —COR 9 , —CO 2 R 9 , —CO 2 M, —SR 9 , —SO 2 R 9 , —SOR 9 , —SO 3 R 9 , —SO 3 M, —SO 2 NR 9 R 10 , —NR 9 R 10 or —N═CR 9 R 10 .

6.

7. The phosphite-metal complex as claimed in claim 4 , wherein adjacent radicals R 1 to R 4 together form a fused aromatic, heteroaromatic, aliphatic, mixed aromatic-aliphatic or mixed heteroaromatic-aliphatic ring system which is unsubstituted or is substituted by at least one of an aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, F, Cl, Br, I, —CF 3 , —CH 2 (CF 2 ) j CF 3 where j=0–9, —OR 9 , —COR 9 , —CO 2 R 9 , —CO 2 R 9 , —CO 2 M, —SR 9 , —SO 2 R 9 , —SOR 9 , —SO 3 R 9 , —SO 3 M, —SO 2 NR 9 R 10 , —NR 9 R 10 or —N═CR 9 R 10 .

8. The phosphite-metal complex as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the metal is rhodium, platinum, palladium, cobalt or ruthenium.

9. A process for the hydroformylation of olefins, which comprises;

reacting a monoolefin of monoolefin mixture with a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a phosphite as defined in claim 1 .

10. A process for preparing a phosphite, which comprises:

(a) reacting an αhydroxyarylcarboxylic acid of the formula ( 1 ):

with PCL 3 , PBr 3 or PI 3 in the presence of a base to form a halodioxaphosphorinone of the formula ( 2 ), where Hal=Cl, Br or I, and

(b) reacting the halodioxaphosphorinone ( 2 ) on the presence of a base with (i) an alcohol Ho—R 1 to give a phosphite of the formula (I) in which k= 0 or (ii) a carboxylic acid HOOC—R 1 to give a phosphite of the formula (I) in which k= 1 .

11. A process for preparing a phosphite-metal complex, which comprises:

reacting a metal of group 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 of the Periodic Table in elemental form or in the form of a chemical compound with a phosphite of formula (I):

where R A is a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic and mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are each selected independently from among a monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic, aromatic, heteroaromatic, mixed aliphatic-alicyclic, mixed aliphatic-aromatic, heterocyclic, mixed aliphatic-heterocyclic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 50 carbon atoms, H, F, Cl, Br, I -CF 3 , -CH 2 (CF 2 )jCF 3 where j=0—9, -OR 9 , -COR 9 -CO 2 R 9 , -CO 2 M, -SR 9 , -SOR 2 , -SO 3 R 9 , -SO 3 M, -SO 2 NR 9 R 10 , -NR 9 R 10 , -N=CR 9 R 10 , where R 9 and R 10 are each a H, monovalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from 1 to 25 carbon atoms and M is an alkali metal ion, an alkaline earth metal ion, an ammonium ion or phosphonium ion,

or adjacent radicals R 1 to R 4 together form a fused substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, heteroaromatic, aliphatic, mixed aromatic-aliphatic or mixed heteroaromatic-aliphatic ring system: and

k=0 or 1.

12. A catalyst comprising the phosphite-metal complex as claimed in claim 4 .

13. A method comprising carrying out the hydroformulation of one or more olefins in the presence of a phosphite-metal complex as claimed in claim 4 .

14. A process for the hydroformulation of olefins, which comprises:

reacting a monoolefin or a monoolefin mixture with a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a phosphite-metal complex as claimed in claim 4 .