Carbonylated Phosphines as Ligands for Catalysis in Supercritical CO2

This study attempts to answer if inexpensive, easily available carbonylated phosphines could be used as CO 2 -philic ligands to replace the expensive, fluoroalkylated phosphines for catalysis in supercritical CO 2 (scCO 2 ). Toward this end, a series of alkoxycarbonylated arylphosphines were examined in the rhodium-catalyzed hydroformylation in scCO 2 . The reaction rate was found to vary with the number of the carbonyl groups incorporated into the phosphines and with the nature of the olefins.