Rhodium and iridium complexes of trisulfonated triarylphosphanes, TPPTS (tris(3-sulfonatophenyl)phosphane), T(p-A)PTS (tris(3-sulfonato-4-methoxyphenyl)phosphane), T(2,4-X)TS (tris(2,4-dimethyl-5-sulfonatophenyl)phosphane), have been tested in biphasic hydrogenation of aldehydes. T(2,4-X)TS could not stabilize the rhodium complex under the applied conditions. Guanidium salt of T(2,4-X)TS has been characterized by X-ray crystallography.. and Tolman cone angle of the phosphane has been determined from crystallographic data. The large cone angle (196degrees, 210degrees) explains the instability of the rhodium complex. Contrary to the T(2,4-X)TS/rhodium system, the T(2,4-X)TS/iridium catalyst has been found to be stable and effective in hydrogenation of benzaldehyde and caproaldehyde. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.