Cativa process

The Cativa process is a method for the production of

complex

[Ir(CO)₂I₂]⁻ (1).

The Cativa and Monsanto processes are sufficiently similar that they can use the same chemical plant. Initial studies by Monsanto had shown iridium to be less active than

water gas shift reaction

.

The catalytic cycle of the Cativa process

The

acetyl ligand. The active catalyst species (1) is regenerated by the reductive elimination of acetyl iodide from (4), a de-insertion reaction.^[1]^: 94–105 The acetyl iodide is hydrolysed to produce the acetic acid product, in the process generating hydroiodic acid

which is in turn used to convert the starting material (methanol) to the methyl iodide used in the first step.

References

^
doi:10.1016/S0920-5861(00)00263-7
.

^ Jones, Jane H. (2000). "The cativa™ process for the manufacture of acetic acid". Platinum Metals Review. 44 (3): 94–105.

[Cativa-1] 
doi:10.1016/S0920-5861(00)00263-7
.

[Jones-2] Jones, Jane H. (2000). "The cativa™ process for the manufacture of acetic acid". Platinum Metals Review. 44 (3): 94–105.

[1]