| abstract |
A process for the preparation of a compound of general formulan in which R¹ represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group, one of R² and R³ represents a hydrogen atom and the other of R² and R³ is the same as R¹, which comprises reacting a compound of general formula nR¹-CH=C=CH₂ (II) nwith a salt of formic acid in the presence of a catalyst system comprising a palladium salt and a phosphorus compound of general formula nP(OX) n (X) 3-n (III) nin which n is 0,1,2 or 3 and each X independently represents an alkyl, alkenyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl or cycloalkyl group, and recovering the desired compound of formula (I). |