Process compositions and production of acyl alkylisethionate compositions

1. A process comprising:

providing at least one alkylene oxide having between 2 and 8 carbon atoms;

providing an aqueous solution comprising a bi-sulfite anion;

contacting the alkylene oxide with the aqueous solution while maintaining a pH between about 5 and about 10; and

forming a mixture of

(i) a first isomer having the structure:

wherein R1 is a straight chain or branched C 1 to C 6 alkyl group and R2 is a hydrogen atom, and

(ii) a second isomer having the structure:

wherein R3 is a hydrogen atom and R4 is a straight chain or branched C 1 to C 6 alkyl group, and wherein a molar ratio of the first isomer and the second isomer ranges from about 19:1 to about 1:19.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the first isomer and the second isomer ranges from about 15:1 to about 1:15.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the first isomer and the second isomer ranges from about 19:1 to about 4:1.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the aqueous solution of bi-sulfite ions comprises an ion selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, lithium, magnesium, calcium, ammonium, and combinations thereof, optionally the aqueous solution is comprised of sulfite ions and bi-sulfite ions, preferably the aqueous solution comprises 25 wt. % to 99 wt. % sulfite ions and 1 wt. % to 75. wt. % bi-sulfite ions, preferably the aqueous solution comprises 40 wt. % to 99 wt. % sulfite ions and 1 wt. % to 60 wt. % bi-sulfite ions.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the alkylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide, butylene oxide and combinations thereof.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one alkylene oxide comprises

(i) a first alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and combinations thereof;

(ii) a second alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and combinations thereof, wherein the first alkylene oxide is different from the second alkylene oxide; and optionally

(iii) a third alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylenes oxide and combination thereof.

7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the first alkylene oxide comprises propylene oxide and the second alkylene oxide comprises butylene oxide, alternatively the first alkylene oxide comprises propylene oxide and the second alkylene oxide is ethylene oxide.

8. The process according to claim 6 , wherein a molar ratio of the first alkylene oxide to second alkylene oxide is about 1:1 or greater, and optionally a molar ratio of the first alkylene oxide to second alkylene oxide to third alkylene oxide is about 1:1:1 or greater.

9. The process according to claim 1 , wherein R 1 and R 4 are individually selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl, tert-butyl, and combinations thereof.

10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the pH is between about 6 and about 8.

11. An composition of matter, comprising:

a mixture of

(i) a first isomer having the structure:

wherein R 1 is a straight chain or branched C 1 to C 6 alkyl group and R 2 is a hydrogen atom, and

(ii) a second isomer having the structure:

wherein R 3 is a hydrogen atom and R 4 is a straight chain or branched C 1 to C 6 alkyl group, and

wherein a molar ratio of the first isomer and the second isomer ranges from about 19:1 to about 4:1, wherein the composition is water soluble.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein R 1 and R 4 are the same C 1 to C 6 alkyl group.

13. The composition of claim 11 , further comprising from about 20% to about 90% water, by weight based on the total weight of the composition.

14. The composition of claim 11 , wherein R 1 and R 4 independently comprise a methyl functional group or a ethyl functional group and R 2 and R 3 are hydrogen, and wherein the mixture has between about 80 molar percent to about 95 molar percent of the first isomer.

15. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the alkylene oxide is selected from the group consisting of propylene oxide, butylene oxide and combinations thereof.

16. The process according to claim 9 , wherein the at least one alkylene oxide comprises:

(i) a first alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and combinations thereof;

(ii) a second alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide and combinations thereof, wherein the first alkylene oxide is different from the second alkylene oxide; and optionally

(iii) a third alkylene oxide selected from the group consisting of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylenes oxide and combination thereof.

17. The process according to claim 16 , wherein the first alkylene oxide comprises propylene oxide and the second alkylene oxide comprises butylene oxide, alternatively the first alkylene oxide comprises propylene oxide and the second alkylene oxide is ethylene oxide.

18. The composition of claim 17 , wherein R 1 and R 4 are the same C 1 to C 6 alkyl group.

19. The process according to claim 1 , further comprising:

reacting the first isomer and the second isomer with a carboxylic acid, thereby forming a mixture of:

a) a first ester anion having the structure:

and

b) a different second ester anion having the structure:

in which R is in each occurrence a hydrocarbon group having between about 4 and about 25 carbon atoms, including straight-chain, branched, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbon groups;

wherein R 1 is an alkyl group selected from the group consisting of: C 1 to C 6 alkyl, and R 2 is hydrogen; and

R 4 is an alkyl group selected from the group consisting of: C 1 to C 6 alkyl, R 3 is hydrogen.