Phosphonite-containing catalysts for hydroformylation processes
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorsYun-Shan Liu, Thomas Allen Puckette
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Abstract
Disclosed are catalyst solutions for preparing aldehydes with variable normal- to iso-aldehyde ratios comprising one or more phosphonite ligands, rhodium, and a hydroformylation solvent. Also disclosed is a process for preparing aldehydes with variable normal- to iso-aldehyde ratios comprising contacting an olefin, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide with one or more phosphonite ligands, rhodium, and a hydroformylation solvent. The phosphonite-based catalyst solutions provide the ability to manipulate the normal- to iso-aldehyde ratio by varying one or more process variables including carbon monoxide partial pressure, temperature, and gram moles ligand to gram atoms rhodium.
Claims7
A catalyst solution comprising:
- i. one or more phosphonite ligands having the general formula (I):
- wherein:
- R1 is a phenyl group;
- R2, and R3 are independently selected from ethyl, isopropyl, and phenyl group;
- R4 and R5 are independently selected from hydrogen and methyl group;
- R1, R2, and R3 together have a steric bulk, ATOT, of about 6.2 to about 11.5 kcal/mol as calculated by the following formula:
- ATOT=A1+A2+A3 wherein A1, A2, and A3 are the A values for R1, R2, and R3, respectively;
- and
- X is optionally present as a methylene group;
- ii. rhodium;
- and
- iii. a hydroformylation solvent.
A catalyst solution consisting essentially of:
- i. one or more phosphonite ligands selected from formulas (B), (C), (D), and (E):
- ii. rhodium;
- and
- iii. a hydroformylation solvent.
A process for preparing butyraldehyde comprising:
- contacting propylene, hydrogen, and carbon monoxide with a catalyst solution comprising:
- i. one or more phosphonite ligands selected from formulas (B), (C), (D), and (E):
- ii. rhodium;
- and
- iii. a hydroformylation solvent
- wherein the concentration of rhodium in the solution is about 20 mg/liter to about 300 mg/liter;
- a total pressure is about 4 bars absolute to about 36 bars absolute;
- and
- wherein the percent normal-butyraldehyde varies from about 1 to about 20 percent absolute in response to a change in one or more process parameters selected from
- temperature that varies within the range of about 80° C. to about 120° C.;
- carbon monoxide partial pressure that varies within the range of about 4 bars absolute to about 9 bars absolute;
- and
- ratio of gram moles phosphonite ligand to gram atoms rhodium that varies within the range of about 30:1 to about 60:1.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.