Catalytic hydrogenation of alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes to alpha,beta-unsaturated alcohols

A process for preparing an alpha, beta-unsaturated alcohol of the formula:

• ##SPC17##
• wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are hydrogen or lower alkyl;
• and R.sub.3 is hydrocarbyl, cyclohydrocarbyl or aryl;
• or R.sub.1 and R.sub.3 taken together or R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 taken together form a cyclohydrocarbyl or aryl group;
• said hydrocarbyl being unsubstituted or substituted with a lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, lower alkanoyloxy or cyclohydrocarbyl substituents and said aryl and cyclohydrocarbyl being unsubstituted or substituted in one or more positions with lower alkyl, lower alkoxy or lower alkanoyloxy substituents;
• comprising hydrogenating with hydrogen gas an alpha, beta-unsaturated aldehyde of the formula:
• ##SPC18##
• wherein R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are as above;
• said hydrogenation being carried out in an inert organic polar solvent medium in the presence of a catalyst suspended in said medium, said catalyst being elemental platinum with its surface coated with elemental cobalt where the catalyst contains from 1 to 100 moles of elemental platinum per mole of cobalt, said hydrogenation being carried out at pressures of from about 0 to 1,000 psig and temperatures of from about 15.degree. C. to 60.degree. C.