Aqueous biphasic olefin hydroformylation catalyzed by water-soluble rhodium complexes

Abstract

Catalysis with water-soluble rhodium complexes, RhCl(CO)(TPPMS)2, [TPPMS = P(C6H5)2(C6H4SO3)] (1), RhCl(CO)(TPPDS)2, [TPPDS = P(C6H5)(C6H4SO3)2] (2) and RhCl(CO)(TPPTS)2, [TPPTS = P(C6H4SO3)3] (3) in hydroformylation of 1-hexene, 2-pentene, 2,3-dimethyl-1-butene, cyclohexene and several mixtures of these olefins have been studied, under moderate reaction conditions (T: 50–150 C; pCO/pH2 = 1; total p: 14–68 bar; Substrate/ Catalyst: 600/1) in biphasic toluene/water media. The catalytic system shows high activity but low selectivity. The linear and branched oxygenated products obtained are equally useful in naphtha upgrading, as observed in the real El Palito naphtha tried. The catalysts can be recycled several times without significant activity loss.