Hydroformylation of Mid Range Olefins

3 Hydroformylation of Mid Range Olefins - Rhodium/tppts catalysts exhibit low catalytic activity in the hydroformylation of mid range olefins (C5-Cg) in a two phase system due to the much lower solubility of such olefins in water. In the Rh/tppts catalysed biphasic hydroformylation of 1-hexene, for example the conversion is only 11-22% with a n/i ratio of aldehydes of 98/2.353,373 The rate of 1-hexene hydroformylation catalysed by Rh/tppts increased by a factor 2.3 when subjected to ultrasound (35 kHz) and high stirring rates.360,361 

A relatively weak rate enhancement was observed in the biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene using Rh/tppts catalysts in the presence of cosolvents such as ethanol to enhance the solubility of the olefin in the aqueous phase and with addition of buffers (Na2C03/NaHC03) to eliminate side reactions such as the formation of acetals.31,365,366 Similarly, addition of ethanol improved the yields in the hydroformylation of 1-octene catalysed by Rh2(p-S-tBu)2(CO)2(tppts)2 species in an aqueous/organic two phase system.367 However, the high selectivity to linear aldehyde observed for neat olefin in the biphasic system (97%) decreased (to 83%) in the presence of the cosolvent.367 

Replacement of tppts by the fluoro substituted sulfonated ligand 4 [Table 2 94% (n=l) and 6% (n=0)] in the rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation of 1-hexene in a two phase system increased the selectivity to linear aldehyde n-heptanal from 86% to 93% at the low P/Rh molar ratio of 7.5/1.75,76 The Rh/4 catalyst was quantitatively recovered after the reaction by simple decantation.75,76 The moderate increase of the n/i ratio is of interest when one considers that ligand 4 is mainly present as the disulfonated species (94%) compared to the trisulfonated compound tppts and that tris(4-fluorophenyl)phosphine is less basic (pKa=1.97) than triphenylphosphine (pKa=2.73).376 In rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation reactions in organic solvents it is known that electron withdrawing substituents, which increase the -acidity of the ligand, give rise to an increase in the n/i ratio.377 379 

Kalck et /.96,359,362 studied the biphasic hydroformylation of 1-hexene using water soluble dinuclear species such as Rh2(m-S-lBu)2(CO)2(tppts)2 and C0/H20 where H20 acts both as a solvent and hydrogen source according to the water gas shift reaction (Equation 2). The turnover frequency (TOF) obtained was 40 h 1 and the n/i ratio of the aldehyde 96/4.96 Using RhH(CO)(tppts)3 catalysts lower rates were obtained under the same conditions.96 

Olefin Catalyst Temp [°C] Press. [atm] Yielda nli- ratio Leaching of metal Ref. 

Chaudhari et reported that the rate of biphasic hydroformylation of 

Replacement of tppts by the fluoro substituted sulfonated ligand 4 [Table 2 94% (n=l) and 6% (n=0)] in the rhodium-catalysed hydroformylation of 1-hexene in a two phase system increased the selectivity to linear aldehyde n-heptanal from 86% to 93% at the low P/Rh molar ratio of The Rh/4 catalyst was 

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