Comparison of “on water” and solventless procedures in the rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation of diolefins, alkynes, and unsaturated alcohols

• Highly efficient hydroformylation was performed under solventless conditions.
• Dialdehydes were formed selectively in “on water” hydroformylation of dienes.
• Linear aldehyde was obtained from phenylacetylene in “on water” conditions.
• Solventless conditions facilitated formation of linear aldehydes from alcohols.

Catalytic systems containing Rh(acac)(CO)2 or Rh/PAA (PAA = polyacrylic acid) and hydrophobic phosphine (PPh3) were used in the hydroformylation of diolefins, alkynes, and unsaturated alcohols under solventless and “on water” conditions. The total yield of dialdehydes obtained from 1,5-hexadiene and 1,7-octadiene reached 99%, and regioselectivity towards linear dialdehydes was higher in the “on water” system. The tandem hydroformylation-hydrogenation of phenylacetylene led to the formation of saturated aldehydes (3-phenylpropanal and 2-phenylpropanal) at 98% conversion with a good regioselectivity towards the linear aldehyde in the “on water” reaction. In contrast, solventless conditions appeared better in the hydroformylation of 1-propen-3-ol. 4-Hydroxybutanal, formed in this reaction with an excellent selectivity, was next transformed to tetrahydrofuran-2-ol via a ring-closure process. Cyclic products were also obtained in hydroformylation of 1-buten-3-ol. In reaction of undec-1-ol and 2-allylphenol linear aldehydes were formed with the yield 69–87%. The hydroformylation of 3-buten-1-ol performed under “on water” conditions showed very good regioselectivity towards a linear aldehyde, 5-hydroxypentanal. Further cyclization of the aldehyde to tetrahydropyran-2-ol was observed.

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