Process for the manufacture of reaction products of conjugated diolefins and aromatic hydrocarbons

Abstract

A process for preparing an alkenyl derivative of an aromatic hydrocarbon by reacting a conjugated diolefin with the aromatic hydrocarbon comprises conducting the reaction in the presence of a catalyst comprising: 1. a nickel compound which is soluble in the aromatic hydrocarbon; 2. an organo-aluminum halide; and 3. a modifying agent wherein the modifying agent (3) is a compound of the formulae ##STR1## wherein X in each case is chlorine, bromine or iodine; and R.sup.1 to R.sup.16 independently are each a straight-chain or branched, saturated or unsaturated aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbon radical of 1-20 carbon atoms, optionally substituted by 1-41 halogen atoms, or a hydrocarbon aryl radical of 6-14 carbon atoms, optionally substituted by (a) 1-5 straight-chain or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radicals, each of 1-10 carbon atoms optionally substituted by halogen atoms, or (b) 1-9 halogen atoms, and wherein R.sup.4 to R.sup.16 can alternatively be hydrogen, and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 can also be hydrogen when R.sup.3 is optionally substituted hydrocarbon aryl as defined above, and R.sup.9 and R.sup.10 together can alternatively form a fused-on optionally substituted ring system, 4. and, optionally, water.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.