Rhodium complexes polymer-bound, hydroformylation

The polymers were converted to supported catalysts corresponding to homogeneous complexes of cobalt, rhodium and titanium. The cobalt catalyst exhibited no reactivity in a Fischer-Tropsch reaction, but was effective in promoting hydroformylation, as was a rhodium analog. A polymer bound titanocene catalyst maintained as much as a 40-fold activity over homogeneous titanocene in hydrogenations. The enhanced activity indicated better site isolation even without crosslinking. 

The metal complexes most often studied as polymer-bound catalysts have been Rh(I) complexes, such as analogues of Wilkinson s complex. The catalytic activity of a bound metal complex is nearly the same as that of the soluble analogue. Rhodium complexes are active for alkene hydrogenation, alkene hydroformylation, and, in the presence of CH3I cocatalyst, methanol carbonylation, etc. Polymer supports thus allow the chemistry of homogeneous catalysis to take place with the benefits of an insoluble, easily separated catalyst . ... 

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