Use of rhodium on carbon and 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane to catalyze the regioselective hydroformylation of alkenes with formic acid as the hydrogen source

Abstract

Alkenes are converted to aldehydes under quite mild conditions (8.5 atm. CO, 105°C) by reaction with carbon monoxide and formic acid in the presence of catalytic amounts of 5% Rh/C and 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane (dppp) [250:4:1 ratio of reactant:dppp:Rh/C]. Good selectivity for the branched chain aldehydes resulted for the olefins RCHCH₂, where R = Ar, OAc, OCOPh, SPh, while the linear product was favored for R = SiMe₃ or SiPh₃.