Mesoporous diphosphine-transition metal complex catalyst for hydroformylation

The invention pertains to a diphosphine-transition metal complex comprising a diphosphine-transition metal ligand that is covalently bonded to an insoluble mesoporous support having an average pore diameter of from 4.5 nm to 50 nm, characterized in that the ligand as attached to the support has the formula: wherein R is aryl, C1-C4 alkyl, aralkyl, alkylaryl; C1-C4 alkoxy, aralkoxy, or alkylaryloxy; P is a phosphorous atom; M is a transition metal; X is a bond, CH2, 0, S or NH2; Y is C or N; A is a linking moiety which is bonded to the mesoporous support; the ring formed by X, Y and the two aromatic rings is a 5- or 6-membered ring; and wherein the aromatic rings may be unsubstituted or substituted.; The invention further relates to the use of the diphosphine- transition metal complex as a catalyst in a reaction selected from hydroformylation, hydrogenation, carbonylation or carbon-carbon coupling.
Delft University of Technology