Process

Abstract

An efficient and commercial phosphorylation process of a complex alcohol, such as secondary and tertiary alcohols, with P4O10 at high temperatures, and a product obtained by the process.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A process for phosphorylating a complex alcohol, comprising the steps of:
 (a) mixing the complex alcohol and P 4 O 10  until its exothermic reaction temperature is achieved;   (b) allowing the reaction mixture of step (a) to react until the exothermic reaction is complete and, if the temperature of the reaction mixture at this point is not at least 90° C., heating the reaction mixture to within a range of 90° C. to 140° C.;   (c) cooling the reaction mixture of step (b) to at least 80° C.; and   (d) hydrolysing the reaction mixture of step (c), wherein hydrolysis is conducted for 30 to 90 minutes.   
     
     
         22 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the complex alcohol is a linear or branched alcohol comprising at least 6 carbon atoms, or a cyclic complex alcohol. 
     
     
         23 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the cyclic complex alcohol is carbocyclic, heterocyclic, monocyclic or polycyclic. 
     
     
         24 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the complex alcohol is a chromanol. 
     
     
         25 . The process of  claim 24  wherein the chromanol is a tocopherol or tocotrienol. 
     
     
         26 . The process of  claim 21  wherein step (d) involves the addition of an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         27 . The process of  claim 21  wherein, in step (b) and/or (c), the temperature of the reaction mixture is maintained for 30 to 180 minutes, 60 to 180 minutes, 60 to 120 minutes, or 60 minutes. 
     
     
         28 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the temperature of the reaction mixture during the hydrolysis step (d) is at least 80° C., within the range of at least 80° C. to 150° C., within the range of 85° C. to 120° C., within the range of 90° C. to 110° C., within the range of 90° C. to 100° C., or within the range of 100° C. to 110° C. 
     
     
         29 . The process of  claim 21  wherein hydrolysis is conducted for 60 to 90 minutes. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the product of the hydrolysis step (d) is a mixture of a phosphorylated mono-complex alcohol and a phosphorylated di-complex alcohol. 
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the molar ratio of the mixture of the phosphorylated mono-complex alcohol and the phosphorylated di-complex alcohol is within a range of 6:4 to 8:2, or is 2:1. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 21  wherein the process further comprises the step of reacting the reaction mixture of step (d) with an amphoteric surfactant, wherein the amphoteric surfactant is a tertiary amine of the formula N 1 R 1 R 2 R 3 , wherein R 1  is selected from the group consisting of C 6-22  alkyl, and R 2  and R 3  are independently selected from the group consisting of H, (CH 2 ) n COOX, (CH 2 ) n CHOHCH 2 SO 3 X, (CH 2 ) n CHOHCH 2 OPO 3 X, in which X is H or forms a salt with a cation selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, alkylammonium and alkanolamine, and n is 1 or 2. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 32  wherein the tertiary amine is selected from the group consisting of 3-[2-carboxyethyl(dodecyl)amino] propanoic acid, 3,3′-(dodecylimino)dipropionic acid monosodium salt, lauryliminodipropionic acid, sodium lauryliminodipropionate and N-lauryl iminodipropionate.