Phosphine and phosphonium compounds and catalysts

A reaction product catalyst mixture comprising cobalt metal, ligand, in the presence of H.sub.2 and CO at a temperature and pressure sufficient to obtain a catalyst capable of catalyzing a hydrocarbonylation reaction, wherein said ligand comprises a compound of the formula R.sub.3-b L$.sub.b wherein L is selected from the group consisting of trivalent P and As;

• each R is independently selected from the group consisting of alkyl, alkynyl, aryl, alkoxyalkyl, aryloxyalkyl, alkoxyaryl, aryloxyaryl, and ferrocenyl and fluoro groups, wherein the aryl portions thereof can be substituted with a halogen and the alkyl portions thereof can be substituted with a member selected from halogen and hydroxy groups, with the proviso that said halogens on said alkyl groups are not in an alpha-position with respect to said L atom unless they are fluoro atoms and with the further proviso that at least one R group on said L atom is a fluoro group;
• each $ group is --C.tbd.CR.sup.1, wherein R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of R, L.sup.+ R.sub.3, wherein R is defined as above and b is an integer of from 1 to 3.