Biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene catalyzed by cobalt complex of trisulfonated tris(biphenyl)phosphine

The aqueous biphasic hydroformylation of 1-octene catalyzed by cobalt complex of the water-soluble ligand trisulfonated tris(biphenyl)phosphine (BiphTS) was investigated in the absence and presence of various mass transfer promoters (co-solvents, surfactants, cyclodextrins and activated carbon). In the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, methylated β-cyclodextrin or activated carbon, the Co/BiphTS system allowed the hydroformylation of 1-octene with high conversion (92–95%) and aldehydes selectivity (85–90%). Moreover, the catalytic system could be easily reused in the presence of activated carbon as a mass-transfer promoter. In all cases, the conversion and the aldehydes selectivity were found to depend strongly on the ligand/cobalt ratio.

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► Water-soluble ligand, BiphTS applied in Co catalyzed biphasic hydroformylation.
► Conversion and the aldehydes selectivity depended on the ligand/Co ratio.
► Employed various mass transfer promoters to enhance conversion and selectivity.
► The catalytic system can be easily recovered and recycled.