ALKYLATION INHIBITORS FOR A LIGAND-COMPLEXING PROCESS

In processes in which liquid sorbents that are solutions in an aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon of a bimetallic salt complex having the generic formula MIMIIXn?Aromatic, wherein MI is a Group I-B metal, MII is a Group III-A metal, X is halogen, n is the sum of the valences of MI and MII, and Aromatic is a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon are used to separate complexible ligands from a gas feedstream that comprises an olefin having 2 or 3 carbon atoms, alkylation of the aromatic hydrocarbon or halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon is inhibited by incorporating in the liquid sorbent a small amount of an alkylation inhibitor that is zinc diphenyl or triphenylboron.