Separation processes

A process for separating one or more products from a reaction product fluid comprising a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a polar solvent and said one or more products, wherein said process comprises (1) mixing said reaction product fluid with a nonpolar solvent to obtain by phase separation a polar phase comprising said metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and said polar solvent and a nonpolar phase comprising said one or more products and nonpolar solvent, and (2) recovering said nonpolar phase from said polar phase;

• wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5.

A process for producing one or more products comprising:

• (1) reacting one or more reactants in the presence of a metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand, a polar solvent and a nonpolar solvent to form a multiphase reaction product fluid;
• and (2) separating said multiphase reaction product fluid to obtain one phase comprising said one or more reactants, metal-organophosphorus ligand complex catalyst, optionally free organophosphorus ligand and polar solvent and at least one other phase comprising said one or more products and nonpolar solvent;
• wherein said organophosphorus ligand has a partition coefficient between the polar solvent and the nonpolar solvent of greater than about 10, and said one or more products have a partition coefficient between the nonpolar solvent and the polar solvent of greater than about 0.5.