ABSTRACT
Transvinylation of carboxylic acids by vinyl acetate has been studied extensively and various catalysts have been reported. Recently, Union Carbide has introduced Vynate and Vynex vinyl ester monomers commercially produced by novel transvinylation technology based on ruthenium catalysis. This chapter reports on a series of pyridine, substituted pyridines, 1,10-phenanthroline, and substituted, 1,10-phenanthrolines complexes of palladium acetate for transvinylation catalysis. It also reports the effect of a sulfonic acid promoter on the transvinylation mechanism. In general, the palladium acetate complexes are insoluble in vinyl acetate at 60°C. However once the monobasic acids are added for transvinylation, the palladium acetate complexes become soluble. Dibasic acids such as glutaric, succinic, adipic, and suberic could then undergo transvinylation. Without the strong sulfonic acid added as a promoter, no transvinylation occurred with either the 2,2'-dipyridyl or 1,10-phenanthroline complex of Pd(OAc)2.
