Polymer producing palladium complexes of unidentate phosphines in the methoxycarbonylation of ethene

A wide range of unidentate phosphines have been studied as ligands for the palladium-catalysed methoxycarbonylation of ethene in the presence of methanesulfonic acid using methanol as the solvent. At high phosphine to Pd ratios, methyl propanoate is formed at a low rate. However, at P-Pd ratios of 4 : 1, some unidentate phosphines promote the formation of polyketone with moderate rates. Analysis of all the phosphines shows that good electron donating power, combined with small size, favours polyketone formation.