A polymeric composition, a process for producing the composition, and a process for using the composition in, for example,
hydrocyanation or
isomerization are disclosed. The composition comprises repeat units derived from (1) a carbonyl compound, a
monomer, and phosphorochloridite; (2)
phosphorus trichloride, a polyhydric
alcohol, and an aromatic
diol; or (3) combinations of (1) and (2) in which the
monomer can be a polyhydric
alcohol, an amine, combinations thereof. The composition can further comprise a Group VIII
metal and optionally a Lewis acid. The composition can be produced by (1) contacting a carbonyl compound with the
monomer to produce an intermediate and contacting the intermediate with phosphorochloridite; (2) contacting
phosphorus trichloride with a second polyhydric
alcohol under a condition sufficient to produce a
phosphorus-containing
polymer and contacting the phosphorus-containing
polymer with an aromatic
diol; or (3) contacting an N,N-dialkyl dichlorophosphoramidite with a second polyhydric alcohol to produce a
polymer phosphoramidite, contacting the polymer
phosphoramidite with an acid such as HCl to produce the phospphorus-containing polymer, which is then contacted with an aromatic
diol. The composition can be used as catalyst, for example, for converting an unsaturated
organic compound to a
nitrile and isomerizing a
nitrile.