CATALYTIC VAPOR PHASE HYDROFORMYLATION OF PROPYLENE OVER SUPPORTED RHODIUM COMPLEXES

Recently, it has been shown that transition metal compounds such as phosphine and arsine complexes of rhodium promote hydroformylation catalysis homogenously in the liquid phase. In the present investigation, these organometallic complexes were impregnated on carbon and alumina supports and employed as solid phase catalysts for the heterogeneous vapor phase hydroformylation of propylene to butyraldehyde. Both the supported phosphine and arsine complexes exhibited good activity (30% conversion of propylene to butyraldehyde), with the phosphine complex also displaying good long-term stability as a heterogeneous catalyst. These results demonstrate that organometallic complexes can be employed as catalysts either homogeneously or heterogeneously and may, in either case, exhibit similar catalytic properties. © 1969.