Carbon Chain Growth by Formyl Insertion on Rhodium and Cobalt Catalysts in Syngas Conversion

Abstract

HCO insertion into CHx exhibits superior or similar activity to CO insertion and carbene coupling according to DFT calculations, which thus reveal a new reaction channel for chain growth in syngas conversion. The picture shows schematically the lower reaction barrier for HCO versus CO insertion and the optimized transition state for insertion of HCO into CH2.