Branched alcohols formed from vinylidene olefins by hydroformylation and methods for production thereof

Vinylidene olefins may undergo hydroformylation in the presence of an unmodified cobalt catalyst to form compositions comprising a mixture of alcohol molecules having a specified amount of branching. In particular, the compositions may feature a mixture comprising reduced hydroformylated reaction products of a vinylidene olefin comprising alcohol molecules represented by at least one of Structures 3-5. The mixture has an average of about 1.2 to about 2.1 branches per alcohol molecule. Ra and Rb may be the same or different and comprise a branched or unbranched alkyl group having about 6 to about 14 carbon atoms, excluding branches. Variable m is an integer ranging from 0 to a number of carbon atoms in Rb. Rb is a branched or unbranched alkyl group having m+1 carbon atoms less than Rb.