Functionalization of Lightly Branched Olefin Oligomers

A method comprising:

• contacting a plurality of olefin oligomers comprising at least C12 and/or C16 olefin oligomers with a syngas mixture comprising carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of a hydroformylation catalyst under conditions effective to form a hydroformylation reaction product from the plurality of olefin oligomers;
• wherein the plurality of olefin oligomers comprises one or more oligomers having about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms and at least about 70 wt. % Type II and Type IV olefins in total;
• and
• wherein an average number of methyl branches per carbon atom of the C12 and/or C16 olefin oligomers ranges from about 0.08 to about 0.16;
• and
• reducing the hydroformylation reaction product to form a plurality of branched alcohols.

A composition comprising:

• a plurality of branched alcohols formed from a plurality of olefin oligomers by sequential hydroformylation and reduction, the plurality of olefin oligomers comprising at least C12 and/or C16 olefin oligomers and:
• a) comprising one or more oligomers having about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms and at least about 70 wt. % Type II and Type IV olefins in total;
• wherein an average number of methyl branches per carbon atom of the C12 and/or C16 olefin oligomers ranges from about 0.08 to about 0.16, and/or
• b) comprising at least about 10% C12 olefin oligomers, based on total olefin oligomers by mass, and at least about 25% C10-C13 olefin oligomers, based on total olefin oligomers by mass, and at least the C12 olefin oligomers having an average branching index, as measured by GC, of about 1.3 to about 2.2;
• wherein C13 branched alcohols formed from the C12 olefin oligomers have an average branching index, as measured by NMR, not more than 0.5 units higher than the average branching index of the C12 olefin oligomers, as measured by GC.