Hydroformylation of Propylene Using HCOOH as CO Surrogate Without the Consumption of Sacrificial Reagent

Hydroformylation of olefins to aldehydes represents one of the most vital reactions in the chemical industry. Using HCOOH as CO surrogate is a promising method for reducing the use of toxic CO. However, achieving high yields in current studies requires the consumption of anhydride as sacrificial reagent. In this work, the hydroformylation of propylene using HCOOH with the addition of alkali metal salt was reported. In the absence of anhydrides, a conversion of 93.2% and a selectivity of 99.2% for hydroformylation products were obtained. Additionally, the key role of the additive (KCl) was investigated via experimental and DFT studies.