Highly efficient porous organic copolymer supported Rh catalysts for heterogeneous hydroformylation of butenes

Abstract Porous organic copolymer (denoted as CPOL-BP&P) was afforded through the copolymerization of vinyl biphephos and tris (4-vinylphenyl)phosphine monomers under solvothermal conditions, and followed with impregnation method provided a highly efficient Rh/CPOL-BP&P catalyst with high activity (TOF = 11,200 h −1 ) and regioselectivity (the ratio of linear to branched aldehydes, l:b = 62.2) for heterogeneous hydroformylation of 1-butene. High regioselectivity was also obtained in the hydroformylation of butene mixture (2-butene: l:b = 55.8, isomeric mixture of butenes: l:b = 56.0). The Rh/CPOL-BP&P catalysts were thoroughly characterized by means of nitrogen sorption isotherms, in situ FT-IR, XPS, solid-state 31 P MAS NMR, HAADF-STEM, SEM and TEM. The formation of unique coordination bonds with Rh species in the polymer skeleton was determined. Heterogeneous hydroformylation of butenes was effectively realized due to a synergetic effect between PPh 3 moiety and biphephos moiety.