abstract |
This invention relates to a process useful in the hydrocyanation of olefinic compounds to produce nonconjugated acyclic nitriles, to a process of isomerization of nonconjugated acyclic nitriles to, among other things, 3- and/or 4-monoalkene nitriles and to the hydrocyanation of monoalkene nitriles to produce linear alkyl dinitriles. The processes are performed in the presence of zero-valent nickel and a bidentate phosphorus amide ligand, selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by formula (I), wherein Q is selected from formulae (II), (III), (IV) and (V). |