Process for the alkylation of phosphorus-containing compounds

1. A process for alkylating a phosphorus-containing compound to provide an alkylated phosphorus-containing compound which comprises alkylating phosphorus-containing compound possessing at least one phosphorus-hydrogen

alkylatable site with reactant which generates alkene and/or cycloalkene alkylating agent in situ in the presence of initiator, the alkylene and/or cycloalkylene alkylating agent alkylating the phosphorus-containing component to provide alkylated phosphorus-containing product wherein phosphorus-containing compound is represented by general formula (I):

wherein:

x 1 , where present, is

and x 2 , where present, is

in which R 1 is H, alkyl of up to 30 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of from 3 to 12 carbon atoms or aryl of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms; Me is a metal having a valence v of 1, 2, 3 or 4; R 2 is H, alkyl of up to 30 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of from 3 to 12 carbon atoms or aryl of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms; and,

a, b, c, d, e and f each independently is 0 or 1,

provided,

when a=1, c=1 and b=0,

when b=1, a=0 and x 1 is not present,

when f=1, d=1 and e=0, and

when e=1, f=0 and x 2 is not present, and the reactant which generates alkene or cycloalkene in situ is represented by general formula (II):

R 4 —X  (II)

wherein:

R 4 is alkyl of up to 30 carbon atoms or cycloalkyl of from 3 to 12 carbon atoms; and,

in which R 5 and R 6 each independently is H, alkyl of up to 30 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl of from 3 to 12 carbon atoms or aryl of from 6 to 20 carbon atoms and g is 0 or 1.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein phosphorous-containing compound (I) is selected from the group (1)-(6) consisting of:

in which R 1 , R 2 , Me and v have the aforestated meanings.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein in phosphorus-containing compounds (1)-(6), R 1 is H and Me is lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium, aluminum, titanium, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper or zinc.

4. The process of claim 3 wherein in phosphorus-containing compounds (2) and (3), R 2 is H.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein phosphorus-containing compound (I) is at least one member selected from the group (1)-(6) consisting of:

in which R 1 , R 2 , Me and v have the aforestated meanings.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein in phosphorus-containing compounds (1)-(6), R 1 is H and Me is lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium, aluminum, titanium, vanadium, chromium, molybdenum, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper or zinc.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein in phosphorus-containing compounds (2) and (3), R 2 is H.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the phosphorus-containing compound is at least one member of the group consisting of phosphonic acid, hypophosphorous acid, phosphinic acid, phosphinous acid, phosphonic acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid di-tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid methyl ester, phosphonic acid phenyl ester, phosphinic acid tert-butyl ester, methylphosphinic acid phenyl ester, benzenephosphinic acid phenyl ester, sodium hypophosphite, calcium hypophosphite, zinc hyposphosphite, aluminum hypophosphite, sodium phosphite, calcium phosphite, zinc phosphite, aluminum phosphite, ferric phosphite, sodium benzenephosphinate and sodium methylphosphinate.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein the reactant which generates alkene or cycloalkene in situ is at least one member of the group consisting of tert-butyl alcohol, tert-amyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, 2-butanol, 2-buten-1-ol, 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol, 1-methylcyclopentanol, 1-methycycloheptanol, 1-methylcyclooctanol, 1-methylcyclodecanol, tert-butyl acetate, phosphoric acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid di-tert-butyl ester, diisobutylphosphinic acid tert-butyl ester, isopropyl tosylate and isopropyl mesylate.

10. The process of claim 8 wherein the reactant which generates alkene or cycloalkene in situ is at least one member of the group consisting of tert-butyl alcohol, tert-amyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, 2-butanol, 2-buten-1-ol, 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol, 1-methylcyclopentanol, 1-methycycloheptanol, 1-methylcyclooctanol, 1-methylcyclodecanol, tert-butyl acetate, phosphoric acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid di-tert-butyl ester, diisobutylphosphinic acid tert-butyl ester, isopropyl tosylate and isopropyl mesylate.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the initiator is at least one free radical initiator, UV light or a combination thereof.

12. The process of claim 11 wherein the free radical initiator is at least one azo compound, inorganic peroxide and/or organic peroxide.

13. The process of claim 11 wherein the free radical initiator is at least one member selected from the group consisting of 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane) dihydrochloride, 2,2′-azobis(N,N′-dimethyleneisobutyramidine) dihydrochloride, azobis(isobutyronitrile), 4,4′-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid), 2,2′-azobis(2-methylbutyronitrile), hydrogen peroxide, ammonium peroxodisulfate, potassium peroxodisulfate, dibenzoyl peroxide, di-tert-butyl peroxide and peracetic acid.

14. The process of claim 1 carried out in the presence of carboxylic acid and/or mineral acid.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the alkylation reaction is carried out at a temperature of from about 25° C. to about 130° C. and a pressure ranging from about atmospheric up to about 2 atmospheres.

16. The process of claim 5 wherein phosphorus-containing compound (I) is at least one member selected from the group consisting of (2) and (3), the alkylated reaction product thereafter being converted to the corresponding metal salt.

17. The process of claim 16 wherein the metal of said metal salt is selected from the group consisting of Mg, Al, Zn, Fe(II), Fe(III), Cu(II) and Zr(IV).

18. The process of claim 1 wherein:

the phosphorus-containing compound is at least one member of the group consisting of phosphonic acid, hypophosphorous acid, phosphinic acid, phosphinous acid, phosphonic acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid di-tert-butyl ester;

phosphonic acid methyl ester, phosphonic acid phenyl ester, phosphinic acid tert-butyl ester, methylphosphinic acid phenyl ester, benzenephosphinic acid phenyl ester, sodium hypophosphite, calcium hypophosphite, zinc hyposphosphite, aluminum hypophosphite, sodium phosphite, calcium phosphite, zinc phosphite, aluminum phosphite, ferric phosphite, sodium benzenephosphinate and sodium methylphosphinate, the reactant which generates alkene or cycloalkene in situ is at least one member of the group consisting of tert-butyl alcohol, tert-amyl alcohol, isopropyl alcohol, 2-butanol, 2-buten-1-ol, 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol, 1-methylcyclopentanol, 1-methycycloheptanol, 1-methylcyclooctanol, 1-methylcyclodecanol, tert-butyl acetate, phosphoric acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid tert-butyl ester, phosphonic acid di-tert-butyl ester, diisobutylphosphinic acid tert-butyl ester, isopropyl tosylate and isopropyl mesylate; and,

the initiator is at least one free radical initiator, UV light or a combination thereof.