Hydroformylation of 1-hexene with rhodium in non-aqueous ionic liquids : how to design the solvent and the ligand to the reaction

Abstract

A wide range of ionic liquids based on imidazolium and pyrrolidinium cations and weakly coordinating anions proved to be efficient solvents for the biphasic rhodium catalyzed hydroformylation of 1-hexene; the reaction rate and regioselectivity, and the retention of the rhodium can be optimized by fitting the nature of the anions and cations of the ionic liquid and the modified phosphite or phosphine ligands.