Phosphonite ligands and their use in hydrocyanation

A hydrocyanation process, said process comprising:

• contacting an ethylenically unsaturated olefin compound with HCN in the presence of a catalyst composition, wherein said catalyst composition comprises a Group VIII metal and a phosphonite ligand wherein the ligand having a structure selected from the group consisting of:
• 33
• wherein the X groups can be independently chosen to be either a substituted or unsubstituted organic aromatic group. The substituent on the X groups is independently selected from the group consisting of C1 to C12 alkyl, perfluoroalkyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, acetal, ketal, alkylaryl, aryl, hetero aryl, cyano, and hydrogen.
• 34
• wherein the X groups are either the same or different unbridged organic aromatic groups as described in Formula I, wherein Q is a substituted or unsubstituted divalent aromatic or non aromatic hydrocarbon radical. The 25 substituent on the Q groups is independently selected from the group consisting of C1 to C12 alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkoxy, alkylaryl, aryl, hetero aryl, cyano
• 35
• wherein X and Q are as described in Formula II, and L is a linking group selected from the group consisting of -CR1 R2-, —O—, —S—, —CO— (wherein each of R1-R2 are independent of one another, are a hydrogen atom, a C1-12 alkyl group, or an aryl group), and each of m and m′ which are independent of each other, are 0 or 1.