Reactivation of hydroformylation catalysts

A process for improving the catalytic activity of a solubilized rhodium tertiary organophosphine complex hydroformylation catalyst which has become partially deactivated due to halide and/or carboxylic acid poisoning, said process consisting essentially of

• (1) mixing under non-hydroformylation conditions, an organic liquid medium containing said solubilized partially deactivated rhodium-tertiary organophosphine complex catalyst, with an aqueous solution containing from about 1 to about 25 percent by weight of a tertiary alkanolamine having the formula ##STR2## wherein R represents a hydroxyalkyl radical having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 each individually represent a radical selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyl radicals having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms, and a phenyl radical, to form a water-soluble salt between said tertiary alkanolamine and said halide and/or carboxylic acid;
• (2) allowing the resulting mixture to settle into two distinct liquid phases;
• (3) separating the aqueous phase which contains said salt from the organic phase containing the solubilized rhodium-tertiary organophosphine complex hydroformylation catalyst resulting from steps (1) and (2);
• and;
• (4) washing the separated organic phase obtained by step (3) with water, and recovering a solubilized rhodium-tertiary organophosphine complex hydroformylation catalyst that is more catalytically active than said Partially deactivated rhodium-tertiary organophosphine complex hydroformylation catalyst starting material.