Process for preparing a polyol ether

A process for preparing a polyol ether of formula (I), comprising a step of performing reductive alkylation by contacting a compound of formula (II) with a compound of formula (III):

• in which:
• R1 and R2 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, —OH, —(OCH2—CH(OH)—CH2)p—OH having p in a range:
• 1≦p≦10, C1-C50 alkyl, C2-C50 alkenyl, C1-C50 alkyl interrupted by one or more oxygen atom(s), C2-C50 alkenyl interrupted by one or more oxygen atom(s), aryl, aryloxy, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, and C3-C18 cycloalkoxy group, wherein the alkyl, the alkenyl, the aryl, the aryloxy, the C3-C8 cycloalkyl, the C3-C18 cycloalkoxy may be unsubstituted or substituted;
• R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, C1-C50 alkyl, C2-C50 alkenyl, aryl, C3-C8 cycloalkyl, and —CH2—CH[O—[C(═O)]n—R5]—CH2—O—[C(═O)]m—R6, wherein the C1-C50 alkyl, the C2-C50 the alkenyl, the aryl, the C3-C8 cycloalkyl, and the —CH2—CH[O—[C(═O)]n—R5]—CH2—O—[C(═O)]m—R6 may be unsubstituted or substituted;
• R3, R5 and R6 are independently selected from the group consisting of C1-C50 alkyl, C2-C50 alkenyl, aryl, and C3-C8 cycloalkyl, wherein the C1-C50 alkyl, the C2-C50 alkenyl, the aryl, and the C3-C8 cycloalkyl may be unsubstituted or substituted;
• n and m are independently equal to 0 or 1;
• R5 is hydrogen when n=0;
• and
• R6 is hydrogen when m=0,
• wherein at least one of R1 and R2 is a hydroxyl group —OH.