ACIDS AND ESTERS

Propylene and ethylene may be carbonylated to form carboxylic acid esters or carboxylic acids in the presence of a catalyst complex containing 1 mole of BF3 and 1 mole of a second complexing component. The carboxylic acid product or acid portion of the ester product has one more carbon atom than the olefin reacted. In the case of the formation of the ester, the second complexing component is an alcohol, while in the case of the preparation of carboxylic acid, the second complexing component is water. The reaction product may be dehydrogenated to a corresponding unsaturated carboxylic acid or unsaturated carboxylic acid ester.