Preparation of cyclododecatriene
United States Patent [191 Rapoport et a].  
 [451 Apr. 15, 1975 PREPARATION OF CYCLODODECATRIENE [75] Inventors: Morris Rapoport, Orange; David Lee Sullivan, Victoria, both of Tex.  
 [73] Assignee: E. l. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, Del.  
 [22] Filed: July 11, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 487,812  
 [52] U.S. Cl 260/666 B [51] C07c 3/00 [58] Field of Search 260/666 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,149,174 9/1964 Mueller 260/666 B 3,157,708 11/1964 Munley 260/666 B 3,185,741 5/1965 Zueck et al. 260/666 B 3,344,199 9/1967 Brenner 260/666 B 3,499,049 3/1970 Hochmuth et a1. 260/666 B 3,523,980 8/1970 Sullivan 260/666 B 3,546,309 12/1970 Koch et al.... 260/666 B 3,644,548 2/1972 Takahas et al.. 260/666 13 3,655,795 4/1972 Sullivan 260/666 B Primary ExaminerVeronica OKeefe [5 7 ABSTRACT Process for preparing 1,5,9-cyclododecatriene by contacting butadiene with a catalyst system resulting from the mixing of an aluminum composition of the structure Z ,Al Cl wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and the phenyl radical; a titanium compound of the formula TiA, wherein A is selected from the class consisting of Cl, Br, I and OR wherein R is an organic radical of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and a promoter for the catalyst system wherein the promoter is selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen and oxygen-containing organic compounds, at a temperature in the range of 20 to 120C. and at a pressure of 0.5 to 50 atmospheres and recovering cyclododecatriene-l,5,9 along with by-products 1,5-cyclooctadiene and 4-vinylcyclohexene, the improvement which comprises adding an iodidecontaining composition or compound selected from the group consisting of Z Al I Z All, ZA1l and 1 wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and the phenyl radical, the molar ratio of iodine or iodide-containing composition or compound to aluminum composition being in the range of 0.05110 to 5:10.  
 8 Claims, N0 Drawings l PREPARATION OF CYCLODODECATRIENE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION kyl aluminum iodide, iodine and an organometallic iodide composition having the formula wherein alkyl and Z are selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and the phenyl radical, a promoter selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen and oxygencontaining organic compounds wherein the oxygencontaining organic compound is selected from the group consisting of compounds of organic acids, RCHO,  
  II II R -c-o-ca and R -oa,  
 in catalyst efficiency by the use of a new catalyst sys-&#39; tem.  
 SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention involves the use ofa new catalyst system which comprises (a) a portion of the alkyl aluminumsesquichloride catalyst component of previously known catalyst systems for the trimerization of butadiene, (b) a tetravalent titanium compound, (c) a promoter, and (d) 0.5-50 mole percent of a composition or compound selected from an alkyl aluminum diiodide, a dialkyl aluminum iodide, an alkyl aluminum sesquiiodide compound and iodine, based on the alkyl aluminum sesquichloride. Thus the catalyst of the present invention comprises the combination of( 1 a tetravalent titanium compound, (2) alkyl aluminum sesquichloride, (3) a composition or compound selected from an alkyl aluminum diiodide, a dialkyl aluminum iodide, an alkyl aluminum sesquiiodide compound and iodine and (4) any one of many known promoters selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen, oxygen-containing gases and oxygenated organic compounds. Thus, the process of the present invention comprises reacting butadiene in the presence of a catalyst formed by the combination comprising a tetravalent titanium compound, an organoaluminum composition having the formula wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and the phenyl radical, an iodide compound selected from the M group consisting of an alkyl aluminum diiodide, a dialwherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl radical of from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, R is phenyl radical or an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R is a phenyl radical or an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R is an alkylene radical of from 4 to 15 carbon atoms, R, R R R, R and R are alkyl radicals of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R is an alkylene radical of from 6 to 10 carbon atoms, R, R and R are alkyl groups of 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and aryl and substituted aryl groups having 6 to 12 carbon atoms.  
  The present invention is an improved process for the preparation of 1,5,9-cyclododecatriene by contacting butadiene with a catalyst formed by mixing a tetravalent titanium compound, an organoaluminum composition of the structure Z ,Al Cl wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and the phenyl radical and a promoter selected from the group consisting of water, oxygen and oxygen-containing organic compounds; at a molar ratio of the aluminum composition to the titanium compound of from 3:1 to 30:1; with the amount of promoter set forth hereinafter, at a temperature in the range of 20 to 120C. and at a pressure of 0.5 to atmospheres; wherein the improvement resides in the inclusion in the catalyst of an iodidecontaining composition or compound selected from the group consisting of Z ,Al I Z All, ZAll and I wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and the phenyl radical, the molar ratio of iodine or iodidecontaining composition or compound to aluminum composition being in the range of 0.05,: 10 to 5:10, preferably 0.1110 to 1:10.  
  The promoters of the present invention include any promoter known in the process of the trimerization of butadiene to form CDDT in the presence of a catalyst formed by the combination of a tetravalent titanium compound and an organoaluminum compound. Prefergen-containing gases and oxygen-containing organic compounds.  
 The oxygen-containing organic compounds of the ii present invention are selected from the group consisting of compounds of organic acids,  
  3 3 9 RCHO, R CR C I O I! II R C-O-CR wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl radical of from 1 to l carbon atoms, R is phenyl radical or an alkyl radical of from 1 to carbon atoms, R is a phenyl radical or a hydrocarbon radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R is an alkylene radical of from 4 to carbon atoms, R, R R R, R and R are alkyl radicals of from 1 to l0 carbon atoms, R is an alkylene radical of from 6 to l0 carbon atoms, R, R and R are alkyl groups of from 1 to l0 carbon atoms, and aryl and substituted aryl groups having 6 to 12 carbon atoms.  
  The aldehydes suitable for use as a promoter have the structure RCl-lO where R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical containing from 1 to 15 carbon atoms. Representative examples of aldehydes include acetaldehyde,  
  where R is a phenyl or an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and where R is an alkylene radical of from 4 to 15 carbon atoms. Representative examples of ketones include acetone, hexafluoroacetone, benzophenone, cyclododecanone, etc. The preferred ketone is acetone. Diketones suitable for use as promoters have the structure 0 i I R -d-ch where R is an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and R is an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms. Representative examples of diketones include 2,4-pentanedione, 6-methyl-2,4-heptanedione, etc. The preferred diketone is 2,4-pentanedione.  
 The epoxides suitable for use have the structure wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms and R is a hydrocarbon radical of from l to 10 carbon atoms, and wherein R is an alkylene radical containing from 6 to carbon atoms. Representative examples of the epoxides include 1,2-epoxy- 5,6-trans-9, l O-cis-cyclododecadiene, cyclododecene oxide, etc. The preferred epoxide is l,2-epoxy-5,6- trans-9, l O-cis-cyclododecadiene.  
  The anhydrides suitable for use in the present invention have the structure 0 O ,R i&#39;:-o-&#39;r&#39;: R  
 wherein R is an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, and R is an alkyl radical offrom l to 10 carbon atoms. Representative examples of the anhydrides include acetic anhydride, propionic anhydride, butyric ll R where R, R and R are alkyl groups of l to l0 carbon atoms and aryl and substituted aryl groups having 6 to 12 carbon atoms. Representative examples of the alcohols include Z-methyI-Z-propanol, 2-methyl-2- dodecanol, 2-decyl-2-dodecano], l l-decyl-l lheneicosanol, Z-ethyl-Z-butanol, 2-methyl-2-hexanol, triphenyl methyl alcohol, 1,1-diphenyl-l-pentanol, l- (p-hexylphenyl)-l-methyl-l-butanol, l l-phenyl-l lheneicosanol, l-phenyl-l-butyl-l-butanol, etc. The preferred alcohols are tertiary butyl alcohol and triphenyl methyl alcohol.  
  Organic acids which are operable in the present invention are selected from the class consisting of formic acid, oxalic acid, and aliphatic acids having 2-15 carbon atoms, aliphatic acids having 2l5 carbon atoms which are substituted with groups selected from the class consisting of alkyls having 1-6 carbon atoms, phenyl, and alkyl substituted phenyl having 7-12 carbon atoms and wherein at least one alpha carbon atom in the main chain of said aliphatic and substituted aliphatic acids has at least one and preferably at least two hydrogen atoms attached thereto. Other substituents on the acid that do not adversely affect the catalyst or the yield to the desired products are within the purview of this invention, e.g., acids having halogen substituents sufficiently removed from the carboxyl groups are operable. Illustrations of the acids contemplated by the above definition are saturated and unsaturated, mono-, di-, and tricarboxylic acids such as formic; propionic; butyric; lauric; pentadecanoic; acrylic; crotonic; sorbic; nonanoic; 3-hexyl-; decanoic, 4-butyl-; crotonic, 3-methyl-; 2,5-heptadienedioic, 4-pentyl; 1,2,4-hexanetricarboxylic; 3-hexynedioic; 4,6-decadiynedioic; pentyn-4-oic acid; capric; pelargonic; isobutyric; isovaleric; oxalic, malonic; pimelic; sebacic; azelaic; isocaproic; isoenanthic; succinic, glutaric; adipic; 1,12- dodecanedioic; and a, b-dimethyl-butyric acid. Formic and acetic acids are preferred.  
  The most preferred promoter is water. The amount of water when used as a promoter according to the invention is in the range of 0.3 to 0.9 mole per mole of aluminum composition. The amount of oxygen as oxygen gas or in an oxygen-containing gas such as air is in the range of 0.1 to 0.7 mole per mole of aluminum composition. The amount of oxygen-containing organic compound used is in the range of 0.05 to 1.0 mole per mole of the aluminum composition.  
  By-products from the trimerization reaction can be recycled back to the reaction system. If the recycled by-products contain oxygen, oxygenated organics or water, it is necessary to adjust the amount of promotor that is added with the catalyst to limit the total alkyl aluminum sesquichloride/promoter ratio to the prescribed ratio. Additionally, it is advantageous to remove peroxides present in the recycled by-products by eluting these by-products through activated alumina before their addition to the reactor. If the by-products are stored under nitrogen, it is not necessary to treat them with activated alumina. It is advisable, however, to determine the amount of water in these by-products as well as the presence of peroxide to assure trimerization equal to or below the alkyl aluminum sesquichloride/promoter ratio prescribed. The presence of oxygenated organic compounds can be determined from the infrared spectrum of the by-products. If oxygenated organics are present, it is again necessary to adjust the amount of promoter added together with the catalyst.  
  Although the by-products recycled to the trimerization reactor are predominantly 1,5-cyclooctadiene (COD) and 4-vinylcyclohexene (VCH), it is possible that other by-products are present also. Since the CDDT is separated from combined VCH/COD by distillation, other by-products with volatilities similar to VCH/COD may also be present.  
  Inert solvents such as cyclohexane, benzene, toluene, and the cyclododecatriene itself can be used as catalyst solvents or as diluents of the trimerization reaction itself without ill effect. The preferred solvent is benzene.  
  In the catalytic trimerization of butadiene, the ratio of alkyl aluminum sesquichloride to titanium compound may be varied from 3:1 to 30:1 with ratios of from 5:1 to being preferred. Higher ratios may be used but are not desirable because of the expense of the aluminum sesquichloride.  
  The ratio of iodine or iodine-containing composition or compound to the aluminum sesquichloride may be varied from 0.05210 to 5:10 with ratios of 0.1210 to 1:10 being preferred.  
  Generally speaking, any tetravalent titanium compound is operable in the present process as long as it is soluble in the reaction medium to an extent of at least 0001 percent, preferably 0.01 percent as based on CDDT at C. and which does not contain a substituent that inactivates the aluminum sesquichloride catalyst. These compounds generally have the formula TiA 4 wherein A is selected from the class containing Cl, Br, I and OR, wherein R is a hydrocarbon radical of from I to 20 carbon atoms. The four As used in a given titanium compound may be the same or different.  
  The catalyst may be prepared by reacting the promoter with the mixture of the iodine or iodide organoaluminum compound and the alkyl aluminum sesquichloride mixture followed by reaction of the product so formed with the titanium compound. However, for continuous operation, it is convenient to add all four catalyst components separately and simultaneously to the reaction vessel or a mixture of the iodine or iodidecontaining organoaluminum compound and ethyl aluminum sesquichloride together with the other two catalyst components being added separately. If desired, all of the catalyst may be added as gases in separate butadiene streams as by vaporizing either the titanium com pounds or the aluminum compound and adding the vapor to separate butadiene streams.  
 The present process is also applicable to the trimerization of substituted butadienes such as isoprene.  
  The butadiene trimerization reaction temperature generally is maintained at from 20C. to 120C. and preferably at from about 60C. to about 90C. At lower temperatures, the reaction rates become unduly slow and at higher temperatures increasing yield losses to by-products occur.  
  Pressure in the instant invention can be varied from one-half atm. to atm., preferably at from 1 to 5 atm. The process of the present invention is carried out advantageously on a continuous basis wherein butadiene and catalyst are continuously fed to a reactor and crude product is continuously removed. The reaction can be made to occur in multiple stages to take advantage of residual catalyst activity.  
  CDDT is a valuable chemical intermediate which can be readily oxidized to succinic acid which is useful in the production of plastics such as polyamides. CDDT may be hydrogenated to produce cyclododecene or cyclododecane. These hydrogenated products may, in turn, be oxidized to form the corresponding dicarboxylic acids.  
 EXAMPLES 1-12 Examples 1 to 12 were run in a 500 cc reactor at 1 psig. The liquid volume of the reactor was 500 cc up to a side arm which was used to discharge the crude 1,5,9- cyclododecatriene (CDDT) made during continuous steady state operation. The reactor was equipped with a paddle stirrer and an external jacket through which water was circulated to control the temperature of the reaction medium. Temperature was monitored by a temperature measuring device which activated a solenoid valve controlling the water flow through the jacket. All runs in the table were made at 75C. Unreacted butadiene from the reactor was passed through a condenser, then through a mercury seal which was used to regulate the pressure and then to a wet test meter to measure the unreacted butadiene flow. The unreacted butadiene flow was kept to a minimum. In each of the examples the reactor was charged with fresh CDDT and catalyst or the crude product from a previous run and the temperature was raised to 75C. while simultaneously injecting butadiene and catalyst components. The catalyst ratios were adjusted (iodidecontaining solutions are added separately) according to the ratios and feed rates in the table. Water was added by feeding a controlled portion of the total butadiene stream through a water saturator. Example 1 was a control run without the iodide compounds of this invention. The crude CDDT obtained during steady state operation overflowed through the side arm and the catalyst in the crude reaction product was deactivated by saturation with anhydrous ammonia.  
 The average rate of reaction throughout a run is expressed as the number of pounds of crude CDDT pro- TABLE PRODUCTIV- SINGLE STAGE ITY ADDITIVE MOLAR RATIO LBS CRUDE CATALYST EFF. 7r YIELD EX. A A/EAS/TT/W CDDT/GAL/HR LBS CRUDE/LB Tl CDDT/VCH/COD/NVR- ITOTAL I None /l0/l/5 8.77 3930 87.2/151/324/749/994 2 Diethyl Aluminum 0.2/9.8/1/5 9.25 4150 89.0/L l/3.42/5.85/99.8  
  Iodide 3 0.4/9.8/1/5 9.18 4120 89.4/1.43/3.70/5.57/l00.l 4 0.6/9.7/1/5 9.03 4060 89.5/l.4l/3.65/5.34/99.9 5 Ethyl Aluminum 0.2/9.8/l/5 9.76 4380 89.4/l.4l/3.37/5.46/99.6  
  Diiodide 6 0.4/9.8/l/5 9.80 4400 89.9/1.36/3.55/5.24/l00.l 7 0.6/9.7/1/5 10.6 4760 90i4/l.40/3.4l/4.67/99.9 8 Ethyl Aluminum 0.1/9.9/1/5 l0.5 4720 89.2/l.47/3.59/5.49/99.8  
  Sesquiiodide 9 0.2/9.8/l/5 9.75 4380 88.9/l.32/3.l6/5.56/98.9 l0 0 3/9.7/l/ 9.48 4260 90.3/l.26/3.l3/4.65/99.3 ll lodine 0.5/l0/l/5 10.0 4490 89.5/l.26/3.l0/5.44/99.3 l2 l.0/l0/l/5 10.3 4630 88.9/0.99/2.40/6.00/98.3  
 &#34;Continuous 500 cc reactor Conditions: TiCl (TT) Feed rate 1.0g/gul/hr Temp, 75C.. Press. l psig. EAS Ethyl Aluminum Scsquichlmidc, W water promoter. Avcrugc five runs.  
  The process of the present invention results surprisingly and unexpectedly in improved yields and productivities. As evidence of this the following examples are included.  
 EXAMPLE 13 The procedure described in Examples 1l2 was followed except that ethyl iodide was added as the additive so that the mol ratio of ethyl aluminum sesqui- TiA wherein A is selected from the class consisting of Cl, Br, 1 and OR wherein R is an organic radical of from 1 to carbon atoms, in an amount such that the molar 5 ratio of the aluminum composition to the titanium compound is maintained at from 3:1 to :1; and a promoter for the catalyst system wherein the promoter is selected from the group consisting of water in an amount of 0.3 to 0.9 mole per mole of aluminum composition, oxygen in an amount of 0.1 to 0.7 mole per chloride/titanium tetrachloride/water/ethyl iodide was 30 l f l minum composition and oxygen-containing l0/l/5/l. The results were about the same as for the control run: the efficiency was 3860 lbs/ lb TiCl the percent yield of CDDT was 87.3%; the productivity was 8.6 lbs crude CDDT/gal/hr.  
 EXAMPLE 14 The procedure of Examples 1-12 was followed except that the catalyst used did not contain ethyl aluminum sesquichloride. The catalyst was ethyl aluminum sesquiiodide/titanium tetrachloride/water in mol ratio of 10/1/5. There was a marked deterioration in the reaction indicating the reaction to be inferior in contrast to the control runs.  
  While certain representative embodiments and details have been shown for the purpose of illustrating the invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in this art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention.  
 We claim:  
  1. In the process for the preparation of 1,5,9- cyclododecatriene which comprises contacting butadiene in a reactor with a catalyst system resulting from the mixing of an aluminum composition of the structure (2.5-a.a) 2 ia.5 2.a) wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and the phenyl radical; a titanium compound of the formula 9 Q Q RCHO, a on (0v R -C-CH organic compounds in an amount of 0.05 to 1.0 mole per mole of aluminum compound, wherein the oxygencontaining compound is selected from the group consisting of compounds of organic acids,  
  R and R -b-OH,  
  wherein R is hydrogen or an alkyl radical of from 1 to 15 carbon atoms, R is phenyl radical or an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R is a phenyl radical or an alkyl radical of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R is an alkylene radical of from 4 to 15 carbon atoms, R, R R R, R and R are alkyl radicals of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, R is an alkylene radical of from 6 to 10 carbon atoms, R, R and R are alkyl groups of l to 10 carbon atoms and aryl and substituted aryl groups having 6 to 12 carbon atoms; at a temperature in the range of 20 to 120C. and at a pressure of 0.5 to atmospheres and recovering cyclododecatriene-l,5,9  
 along with by-products 1,5-cyclooctadiene and 4- vinylcyclohexene; &#34;the improvement which comprises adding an iodide-containing composition or compound selected from the group consisting of Z ,Al l Z All, ZAll and 1 wherein Z is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals containing from 2 to 4 carbon atoms and the phenyl radical, the molar ratio of iodine or iodide-containing composition or compound to aluminum composition being in the range of 0.05:10 to 5:10.  
  2. The process of claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of iodine or iodide-containing composition or compound to aluminum composition is in the range of 0.1:10 to 3. The process of claim 1 wherein the molar ratio of the aluminum composition to the titanium compound is from 5:1 to :1.  
  4. The process of claim 1 wherein the aluminum compound is ethyl aluminum sesquichloride.  
  5. The process of claim 1 wherein the titanium compound is titanium tetrachloride.  
 acetic acid.