Method of producing nitrile compounds from ethylenically-unsaturated compounds

A process for hydrocyanating at a hydrocyanation reaction temperature a hydrocarbon-based compound containing at least one ethylenic unsaturation comprising the step of:

• a) reacting said compound in a liquid medium with hydrogen cyanide in the presence of a catalyst comprising a metallic element selected from transition metals and an organophosphorus ligand, wherein the organophosphorus ligand corresponds to general formula (I) below:
• wherein:
• X1 and X2, which are identical or different, represent an oxygen atom or the divalent radical NR2, wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, sulphonyl, cycloalkyl or carbonyl radical,
• X3 represents a covalent bond, an oxygen atom or the divalent radical NR2, wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, sulphonyl, cycloalkyl or carbonyl radical,
• the radical R1 represents a linear or branched alkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms optionally having hetero atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical optionally having hetero atoms or one or more rings in fused or nonfused form, and
• L represents a linear or branched divalent alkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms optionally having hetero atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or cycloaliphatic divalent radical optionally having hetero atoms and one or more rings in fused or nonfused form.

A process, for hydrocyanating an ethylenically unsaturated nitrile compound to dinitrile, comprising the step of reacting said nitrile with hydrogen cyanide, in the presence of a catalyst system comprising:

• at least one transition metal compound,
• at least one compound of formula (I) below:
• wherein:
• X1 and X2, which are identical or different, represent an oxygen atom or the divalent radical NR2, wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, sulphonyl, cycloalkyl or carbonyl radical,
• X3 represents a covalent bond, an oxygen atom or the divalent radical NR2, wherein R2 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl, aryl, sulphonyl, cycloalkyl or carbonyl radical,
• the radical R1 represents a linear or branched alkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms optionally having hetero atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or cycloaliphatic radical optionally having hetero atoms or one or more rings in fused or nonfused form, and
• L represents a linear or branched divalent alkyl radical having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms optionally having hetero atoms, or a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic or cycloaliphatic divalent radical optionally having hetero atoms and one or more rings in fused or nonfused form, and
• a cocatalyst consisting of at least one Lewis acid.