hüdroformüülatsioon

Hydroformylation, also known as the oxo process, is a chemical reaction that involves the addition of a formyl group and a hydrogen atom to an alkene. This process typically utilizes a homogeneous catalyst, most commonly based on cobalt or rhodium. The general reaction can be represented as RCH=CH2 + CO + H2 → RCH2CH2CHO + RCH(CHO)CH3, where R represents an alkyl group. The product is a mixture of linear and branched aldehydes, with the selectivity often depending on the catalyst used and reaction conditions.

The primary application of hydroformylation is the production of bulk chemicals, particularly alcohols, which are subsequently derived from the resulting aldehydes through hydrogenation. These alcohols find widespread use as plasticizers, solvents, and detergents. For example, the hydroformylation of propylene followed by hydrogenation yields butanols, which are important industrial chemicals. Rhodium-based catalysts, often modified with phosphine ligands, generally offer higher activity and selectivity under milder conditions compared to older cobalt-based catalysts, leading to improved efficiency and a more favorable product distribution. The development of more selective catalysts continues to be an active area of research in this field.