Chemical reaction and hydroformylation catalysts
Hydroformylation of alkenes (or olefins)

Hydroformylation was discovered in 1938 by Roelen of Ruhrchemie, who demonstrated the formation of propanal from ethylene, CO and H₂, at elevated temperature and pressure, in the presence of cobalt catalyst [1]. Hydroformylation can be applied to a wide range of straight- or branched-chain alkenes with internal or terminal double bonds. The reaction takes place at high temperatures and pressures with cobalt (between 100 and 200 ˚C and 100 and 300 bar) and lower with rhodium (between 50 and 130 ˚C and 5 and 50 bar).

Reaction on a terminal olefin gives rise to two aldehydes: the linear isomer (n) and the branched isomer (iso). The selectivity of a catalyst for the linear product (n/n+iso) is an important parameter....