Issue 6, 2024

Cobalt-catalysed hydroformylation of epoxides in the presence of phosphine oxides

Abstract

A novel cobalt-catalysed hydroformylation of epoxides to β-hydroxyaldehydes was developed. Compared to previous works this methodology proceeds under significantly milder conditions (70 °C; 40 bar of CO/H2 = 1 : 1). Crucial for the activity of the cobalt catalyst is the use of phosphine oxides, especially tricyclohexylphosphine oxide, as cheap and easily available promoters. The hydroformylation reaction can be easily combined with a consecutive one-pot hydrogenation of the in situ generated β-hydroxyaldehydes to produce directly 1,3-diols (important intermediates for polyesters and fibres) starting from epoxides. The rapid formation of a mononuclear acyl cobalt carbonyl complex as an intermediate was observed by in situ FTIR spectroscopy.

Graphical abstract: Cobalt-catalysed hydroformylation of epoxides in the presence of phosphine oxides

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
24 Jan 2024
Accepted
01 Feb 2024
First published
02 Feb 2024
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Catal. Sci. Technol., 2024,14, 1524-1533

Cobalt-catalysed hydroformylation of epoxides in the presence of phosphine oxides

F. G. Delolo, C. Kubis, B. Zhang, H. Neumann, E. N. dos Santos, E. V. Gusevskaya and M. Beller, Catal. Sci. Technol., 2024, 14, 1524 DOI: 10.1039/D4CY00109E

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