HYDROFORMYLATION PROCESS EMPLOYING RHODIUM-BASED CATALYSTS COMPRISING LIGANDS HAVING ELECTRONEGATIVE SUBSTITUENTS

摘要

An improved process for hydroformylating an ethylenically-un-saturated compound to form an aldehyde derivative thereof in the presence of rhodium hydridocarbonyl in complex combination with an organic ligand, characterized by employing as said organic ligand a compound having two phosphino moieties, one being of the formula: and the other being of the formula: wherein Rl, R2, Rl', and R2' are organic radicals at least one of which contains an electronegative substituent moiety. The presence of the electronegutive substituent in the ligand leads to an increased ratio of linear aldehyde to branched-chain aldehyde in the hydroformylation reaction product.