Alcohols, Ethers and Carboxylic Acid Esters

Instead of olefins, alcohols, ethers, esters and certain lactones are also suited as starting materials in the syntheses of carboxylic acids or esters (mechanism see page 79). Alcohols react to give saturated carboxylic acids with one more C-atom than the starting material. The reaction proceeds with Ni catalysts in the presence of halogens at 280 to 300 °C and pressures of 200 to 700 atm. 

Metal Carbonyl Catalyzed Carbonylation Reppe Reactions 

Olefin Other compound Catalyst Products Yield (%) Ref. 

Ethylene Hydrogen chloride Ru or Rh halide Propionyl chloride [531] 

Octene Ethyl- mercaptan Ni(CO)4 Ethyl thio a-methyl-caprylate 15 [537] 

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