Charcoal-alumina chloride catalyst

III,C, isomerization often accompanies hydroformylation. It has, however, been found that [(PhCN)2PdCl2] absorbed onto silica gel is 100 times more active for the isomerization of a-olefins, such as 1-heptene, than is the same complex alone (116). This implies some specific role for the silica gel. Attempts to use rhodium(III) chloride absorbed onto silica gel, alumina, activated charcoal, and diatomaceous earth as a-olefin isomerization catalysts showed that all these catalysts were unstable even at room temperature (100). 

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