Catalysis by water-soluble organometallic complexes in water-in-densified fluid microemulsions

A catalytic process, comprising:

• reacting a reactant with an organometallic catalyst to form a product in a microemulsion comprising the reactant and the organometallic catalyst, and further comprising water, a densified fluid, and a surfactant;
• wherein the surfactant comprises sodium bis(3,3,4,4,5,5,6,5,7,7,8,8,8-tridecafluorooctyl)-2-sulfosuccinate, sodium bis(2,2,3,3,4,4,5,5-octafluoro-1-pentyl)-2-sulfosuccinate, sodium bis(2,2,3,4,4,4-hexafluorobutyl)-2-sulfosuccinate, or a mixture thereof;
• and
• separating the product from the microemulsion wherein the catalytic process comprises hydroformylation, hydrogenation or carbonylation and the reactant comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and the microemulsion has a pH about 2 to about 8.

A catalytic process, comprising:

• reacting a reactant with an organometallic catalyst to form a product in a microemulsion comprising the reactant and the organometallic catalyst, and further comprising water, a densified fluid, and a surfactant;
• wherein the surfactant comprises a fluorinated analog of sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2-sulfosuccinate in which at least one hydrogen atom is replaced by a fluorine atom;
• and
• separating the product from the microemulsion wherein the catalytic process comprises hydroformylation, hydrogenation or carbonylation and the reactant comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide and the microemulsion has a pH about 2 to about 8.

A catalytic process, comprising:

• adding a reactant to a reactor containing water, an organometallic catalyst, and a surfactant;
• adding a fluid to the reactor, wherein the fluid is capable of forming a densified fluid;
• forming a water-in-densified fluid microemulsion in the reactor, wherein the microemulsion facilitates a catalyzed reaction of the reactant to form a product;
• and wherein the microemulsion has a pH of about 2 to about 8;
• removing densified fluid from the reactor;
• and
• removing product from the reactor wherein the catalytic process comprises hydroformylation, hydrogenation or carbonylation and the reactant comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

A catalytic process, comprising:

• 1) charging a reactor with water, an organometallic catalyst, and a surfactant;
• 2) adding a reactant to the reactor wherein the reactant comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide;
• 3) adding a fluid to the reactor, wherein the fluid is capable of forming a densified fluid;
• 4) forming a water-in-densified fluid microemulsion in the reactor, wherein the microemulsion facilitates a catalyzed reaction of the reactant to form a product;
• and wherein the microemulsion has a pH of about 2 to about 8;
• 5) removing densified fluid from the reactor;
• 6) removing the product from the reactor;
• and
• 7) repeating steps 2) to 6) wherein the reactant comprises hydroformylation, hydrogenation or carbonylation.

A catalytic process, comprising:

• reacting a reactant with an organometallic catalyst to form a product in a microemulsion comprising the reactant and the organometallic catalyst, and further comprising water, densified carbon dioxide, and a surfactant;
• wherein the microemulsion has a pH of about 2 to about 8;
• and
• separating the product from the microemulsion wherein the catalytic process comprises hydroformylation, hydrogenation or carbonylation and the reactant comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

A catalytic process, comprising:

• reacting an olefin, hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and an organometallic catalyst in a microemulsion further comprising water, densified carbon dioxide, and a surfactant to form a hydroformylation product;
• wherein the microemulsion has a pH of about 2 to about 8;
• and
• separating the hydroformylation product from the microemulsion.

A catalytic process, comprising:

• 1) charging a reactor with an organometallic catalyst, and an aqueous phase comprising a base;
• 2) adding a reactant to the reactor wherein the reactant comprises hydrogen, carbon monoxide or a combination of hydrogen and carbon monoxide;
• 3) adding a fluid to the reactor, wherein the fluid is capable of forming a densified fluid, and wherein the fluid comprises carbon dioxide;
• 4) forming a water-in-densified fluid microemulsion in the reactor, wherein the microemulsion facilitates a catalyzed reaction of the reactant to form a product;
• and wherein the microemulsion has a pH of about 2 to about 8;
• 5) removing densified fluid from the reactor;
• 6) removing the product from the reactor;
• and
• 7) repeating steps 2) to 6) wherein the catalyzed reaction comprises hydroformylation, hydrogenation or carbonylation.