Process for the manufacture of epichlorohydrin

A process for the manufacture of epichlorohydrin, comprising:

• reacting allyl chloride with an oxidant in the presence of a catalyst in an aqueous reaction medium, wherein the catalyst comprises a water-soluble manganese complex and the molar ratio of allyl chloride to oxidant is from 1:0.1 to 1:1;
• and isolating an epichlorohydrin product, wherein the water-soluble manganese complex comprises a mononuclear manganese complex of the general formula (I):
• [LMnX3]Y (I)
• or a binuclear manganese complex of the general formula (II):
• [LMn (μ−X )3MnL]Y2 (II)
• wherein Mn is a manganese;
• L or each L independently is a polydentate ligand;
• each X independently is a coordinating species:
• and each μ−X independently is a bridging coordinating species, selected from the group consisting of:
• RO−, Cl−, Br31 , I−, F−, NCS−, N3−, I3−, NH3, NR3, RCOO−, RSO3−, RSO4−, OH−, O2−, O22−, HOO−, H2O , SH−, CN−, OCN−, and S42−and combinations thereof, wherein R is a C1-C20 radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, benzyl and combinations thereof, and Y is an oxidatively-stable counterion.