Coupling process

Abstract From the Canadian patent

Abstract of the Disclosure An ethylenically-unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon is coupled with an aromatic hydrocarbon having an active hydrogen on a saturated alpha-carbon in the presence of a supported alkali metal as a catalyst and 10-100 mol % based on the amount of the alkali metal catalyst of an, oxide of sodium or potassium as a co-catalyst. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the ethylenicallyunsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon is an alkene of 2-20 carbons, such as ethene or propene; the active hydrogencontaining aromatic hydrocarbon is an alkylbenzene such, as toluene; the alkali metal is potassium or a potassium alloy; and the co-catalyst is sodium oxide.