A high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst, a method for fabricating the same, and applications of the same are disclosed. An organic complexing ligand, which is formed via mixing fatty alcohols and alicyclic carbonates, is used to generate a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst. The high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst includes at least one double-metal-cyanide compound, at least one organic complexing ligand, and an optional functionalized compound. The double-metal-cyanide catalyst of the present invention has a higher activity than the conventional double-metal-cyanide catalysts. The polyols generated by the present invention has an insignificant amount of high-molecular-weight compounds.

A high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst, a method for fabricating the same, and applications of the same are disclosed. An organic complexing ligand, which is formed via mixing fatty alcohols and alicyclic carbonates, is used to generate a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst. The high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst includes at least one double-metal-cyanide compound, at least one organic complexing ligand, and an optional functionalized compound. The double-metal-cyanide catalyst of the present invention has a higher activity than the conventional double-metal-cyanide catalysts. The polyols generated by the present invention has an insignificant amount of high-molecular-weight compounds.

A high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst, a method for fabricating the same, and applications of the same are disclosed. An organic complexing ligand, which is formed via mixing fatty alcohols and alicyclic carbonates, is used to generate a high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst. The high-activity double-metal-cyanide catalyst includes at least one double-metal-cyanide compound, at least one organic complexing ligand, and an optional functionalized compound. The double-metal-cyanide catalyst of the present invention has a higher activity than the conventional double-metal-cyanide catalysts. The polyols generated by the present invention has an insignificant amount of high-molecular-weight compounds.

The invention provides a compound of chemical formula (1), a precursor compound for producing the compound, a surfactant composition and a detergent composition including the compound,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, X is a single bond or a hydrocarbon group having 1 or more and 5 or less carbon atoms, a total number of carbon atoms of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and X is 2 or more and 39 or less, A.sup.1 is O(-A.sup.11O).sub.l-H, A.sup.2 is OCH.sub.2CH(O(-A.sup.21O).sub.m-H)(CH.sub.2O(-A.sup.22O).sub.n-H) or OCH(CH.sub.2O(-A.sup.23O).sub.s-H)(CH.sub.2O(-A.sup.24O).sub.t-H), A.sup.11, A.sup.21, A.sup.22, A.sup.23, and A.sup.24 are each independently an alkanediyl group having 2 or more and 8 or less carbon atoms, l, m, n, s, and t are an average value and are each independently 0 or more, and a total of l, m, and n, and a total of l, s, and t are each independently more than 0 and 200 or less.

The invention provides a compound of chemical formula (1), a precursor compound for producing the compound, a surfactant composition and a detergent composition including the compound,

##STR00001##

wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, X is a single bond or a hydrocarbon group having 1 or more and 5 or less carbon atoms, a total number of carbon atoms of R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and X is 2 or more and 39 or less, A.sup.1 is O(-A.sup.11O).sub.l-H, A.sup.2 is OCH.sub.2CH(O(-A.sup.21O).sub.m-H)(CH.sub.2O(-A.sup.22O).sub.n-H) or OCH(CH.sub.2O(-A.sup.23O).sub.s-H)(CH.sub.2O(-A.sup.24O).sub.t-H), A.sup.11, A.sup.21, A.sup.22, A.sup.23, and A.sup.24 are each independently an alkanediyl group having 2 or more and 8 or less carbon atoms, l, m, n, s, and t are an average value and are each independently 0 or more, and a total of l, m, and n, and a total of l, s, and t are each independently more than 0 and 200 or less.

A system and a method for producing ethylene glycol are disclosed. Alkylene oxide and water are flowed into a first reactor unit and subjecting the alkylene oxide and water, in the first reactor unit, to first reaction conditions such that an effluent of the first reactor unit comprises an alkylene glycol, unreacted alkylene oxide, and unreacted water. At least a portion of the unreacted alkylene oxide may be routed to a second reaction unit and subjected to reaction conditions sufficient to produce additional alkylene glycol, wherein the second reactor unit is a reactive distillation column.

A system and a method for producing ethylene glycol are disclosed. Alkylene oxide and water are flowed into a first reactor unit and subjecting the alkylene oxide and water, in the first reactor unit, to first reaction conditions such that an effluent of the first reactor unit comprises an alkylene glycol, unreacted alkylene oxide, and unreacted water. At least a portion of the unreacted alkylene oxide may be routed to a second reaction unit and subjected to reaction conditions sufficient to produce additional alkylene glycol, wherein the second reactor unit is a reactive distillation column.

A fluorine-containing ether compound represented by R.sup.1R.sup.2CH.sub.2R.sup.3CH.sub.2R.sup.4R.sup.5 is provided. (R.sup.3 is a perfluoropolyether chain; R.sup.1 and R.sup.5 are each independently any one of an alkyl group that may have a substituent, an organic group having at least one double bond or at least one triple bond, and a hydrogen atom; and R.sup.2CH.sub.2R.sup.3 is represented by Formula (2), and R.sup.3CH.sub.2R.sup.4 is represented by Formula (3))

-[A]-[B]OCH.sub.2R.sup.3 (2)

R.sup.3CH.sub.2O[C]-[D]- (3)

([A] is represented by Formula (4), [B] is represented by Formula (5), [C] is represented by Formula (6), [D] is represented by Formula (7), and in the formula, a and b are integers of 0 to 2, c is an integer of 2 to 5, d and f are integers of 0 to 2, and e is an integer of 2 to 5, and at least one of b and d in the formula is 1 or more)

##STR00001##

A fluorine-containing ether compound represented by R.sup.1R.sup.2CH.sub.2R.sup.3CH.sub.2R.sup.4R.sup.5 is provided. (R.sup.3 is a perfluoropolyether chain; R.sup.1 and R.sup.5 are each independently any one of an alkyl group that may have a substituent, an organic group having at least one double bond or at least one triple bond, and a hydrogen atom; and R.sup.2CH.sub.2R.sup.3 is represented by Formula (2), and R.sup.3CH.sub.2R.sup.4 is represented by Formula (3))

-[A]-[B]OCH.sub.2R.sup.3 (2)

R.sup.3CH.sub.2O[C]-[D]- (3)

([A] is represented by Formula (4), [B] is represented by Formula (5), [C] is represented by Formula (6), [D] is represented by Formula (7), and in the formula, a and b are integers of 0 to 2, c is an integer of 2 to 5, d and f are integers of 0 to 2, and e is an integer of 2 to 5, and at least one of b and d in the formula is 1 or more)

##STR00001##

A method of producing a polyether polyol that includes reacting a low molecular weight initiator with ethylene oxide in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, the low molecular weight initiator having a number average molecular weight of less than 1,000 g/mol and a nominal hydroxyl functionality at least 2, and the polymerization catalyst being a Lewis acid catalyst having the general formula M(R.sup.1)1(R.sup.2)1(R.sup.3)1(R.sup.4)0 or 1. Whereas, M is boron, aluminum, indium, bismuth or erbium, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 each includes a same fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group, and optional R.sup.4 includes a functional group or functional polymer group. R.sup.1, R.sup.2, and R.sup.3 are the same fluoroalkyl-substituted phenyl group. The method further includes forming a polyether polyol having a number average molecular weight of greater than the number average molecular weight of the low molecular weight initiator in the presence of the Lewis acid catalyst.