The Iridium-Cocatalyst Mechanism, and Conclusions

It is interesting to note that, when operating at approximately 5% water content, and with good reaction rates, it is possible to save about 30% of the energy costs of the process when compared to the Monsanto process. In addition, the current price of rhodium is 20-fold that of iridium. Even with annual unit capacity productions as large as 500 000 tons, it is still possible to improve catalysis and to achieve significantly better performances. 

1 Weissermel, K. and Harpe, H.J. (1997) Industrial organic Chemistry, 3rd edn, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH, Weinheim, Germany. 

4 Mullen, A. (1980) New Syntheses with Carbon Monoxide (ed. J. Falbe), Springer-Verlag, Berlin, pp. 243-308. 

5 Paulik, F.E. and Roth, J.F. (1968) Journal of the Chemical Society, Chemical Communications, 1578. 

16 Baker, E.C., Hendricksen, D.E. and Eisenberg, R. (1980) Journal of the American Chemical Society, 102,1020-7. 

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