Immobilized Lewis acid catalysts

A method of manufacturing a molded immobilized catalyst comprising a thermoplastic immobilized Lewis Acid catalyst comprising polymer having at least one Lewis Acid immobilized within the structure therein, said polymer having monomer units represented by the structural formula:

• ##STR23## wherein a represents about 1 to about 99 mole % b represents about 0 to about 50 mole %
• c represents about 1 to about 99 mole %
• a+b+c=100%;
• ##STR24## C is selected from the group consisting of:
• ##STR25## D is OH, halide, OR.sup.4 NH.sub.2, NHR.sup.3, OM', or OM";
• E is at least one Lewis Acid;
• R.sup.1 represents H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.24 alkyl group, or C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl;
• R.sup.2 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.24 alkyl group, C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 aryl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 alkylaryl;
• R.sup.3 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.24 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 aryl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 alkylaryl;
• R.sup.4 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.24 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 aryl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 alkylaryl;
• M' represents alkali metal;
• and
• M" represents alkaline-earth metal to a sufficient temperature to produce a flowable state, transporting the heated, immobilized catalyst under sufficient pressure into a mold containing at least one cavity, filling said cavity with the immobilized catalyst, cooling the molded immobilized catalyst for a time sufficient to achieve a non-flowable state, and removing the molded catalyst from said mold.

A method of manufacturing immobilized Lewis Acid catalysts comprising the steps of reacting a functionalized copolymer having repeating monomer units represented by the formula:

• ##STR26## with a Lewis Acid under reaction conditions effective to produce an immobilized Lewis Acid catalyst comprising polymer having repeating monomer units represented by the structural formula:
• ##STR27## wherein a represents about 1 to about 99 mole % b represents about 0 to about 50 mole %
• c represents about 1 to about 99 mole %
• a+b+c is preferably about 100%
• d represents b+c ##STR28## C is selected from the group consisting of:
• ##STR29## D is OH, halide, OR.sup.4, NH.sub.2, NHR.sup.3, OM', or OM";
• E at least one Lewis Acid;
• R.sup.1 represents H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.24 alkyl group, or C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl;
• R.sup.2 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.24 alkyl group, C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 aryl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 alkylaryl;
• R.sup.3 represents C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl, C.sub.6 -C.sub.18 aryl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 alkylaryl;
• R.sup.4 represents C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 alkyl, C.sub.3 -C.sub.24 cycloalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.18 aryl, or C.sub.7 -C.sub.30 alkylaryl;
• M' represents alkali metal;
• M" represents alkaline-earth metal.