Robust, scalable, and highly selective spirocyclic catalysts for industrial hydroformylation and isomerization-hydroformylation | Science Advances

Hydroformylation (HF) or isomerization-hydroformylation (ISO-HF) represents the most direct and practical route for producing aldehydes on an industrial scale. To resolve the issues of low activity, low linear/branched ( l/b ) ratio, and low stability in HF and ISO-HF, we herein reported a class of spirocyclic diphosphites. Notably, the ligand termed O -SDPhite afforded excellent catalytic activity and regioselectivity for the HF of various olefins. Excellent l/b ratio and an unprecedented turnover number of up to 17,620,000 were achieved. O -SDPhite was also found to be effective in the regioselective ISO-HF of the industrially related cheap and abundant C4 Raffinates to n -valeraldehyde produced on a multimillion-ton scale. The reaction with O -SDPhite, superior to that of benchmark Biphephos, was continuously operated for 41 days and afforded an average 38.6 l/b ratio (31 days and 14.7 l/b ratio for Biphephos).