Ruthenium containing catalyst composition useful for process for the demerization of acrylic compounds

A catalyst composition for acrylic compound dimerization comprising an organic polymer catalyst support, trivalent pendant atoms covalently bonded to the support wherein the trivalent pendant atoms are selected from the group consisting of P, As, Sb, Bi and N, a second metal which is selected from the group consisting of Pb, Co, Fe and Ni and is disposed on the organic polymer catalyst support, and ruthenium, wherein the ruthenium is complexed with the trivalent pendant atoms and is in the form of a complex represented by the formula:

• RuL.sub.a.sup.1 L.sub.b.sup.2 L.sub.c.sup.3
• wherein
• L.sup.1 is a mono or bidentate ligand selected from F, Cl, Br, I, 2,4-pentanedionate, or mixtures thereof,
• wherein
• L.sup.2 is one or more of acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, acetonitrile, propionitrile, benzonitrile, water and a group of the formula:
• ##STR3## wherein X is CN, CO.sub.2 R.sup.4, CHO or CONR.sub.2.sup.4 and R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently selected from C.sub.1-16 alkyl, C.sub.1-16 aryl and H;
• wherein
• L.sup.3 is R.sub.3.sup.5 P, R.sub.3.sup.5 As, R.sub.3.sup.5 Sb, R.sub.3.sup.6 N and R.sub.2.sup.6 O, or mixtures thereof wherein each R.sup.5 is a C.sub.1-16 group independently selected from alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, dialkylamino and diarylamino and R.sup.6 is independently selected from C.sub.1-16 alkyl, C.sub.1-16 aryl or H;
• and
• wherein
• a is 0 to 3;
• b is 0 to 6;
• c is 0 to 6;
• and
• a+b+c is at least 2;
• and
• wherein
• L.sup.1, L.sup.2 and L.sup.3 are additively bonded to the Ru with 4 to 6 ligating bonds
• wherein the catalyst is about 0.1 to 10 weight percent ruthenium, the ratio by weight of ruthenium to the second metal is about 0.01-50, and the molar ratio of the trivalent pendant atoms to the ruthenium is about 20:1 or less.