Properties of triphenylphosphite-modified rhodium carbonyl catalysts for the hydroformylation of 2-butenes

The factor responsible for the deactivation of a carbonyl triphenylphosphite rhodium hydroformylation catalyst appears to be the formation of a chelate-structure complex with diphenylphosphite, which is the product of partial hydrolysis of the organophosphorus ligand. The deactivating effect of diphenylphosphite can be suppressed upon interaction of the H(O)P(OPh)2 and P(OPh)3-modified complex with 2-butenes under hydroformylation reaction conditions.