Tandem Hydroformylation–Acetalization Using a Water-Soluble Catalytic System: a Promising Procedure for Preparing Valuable Oxygen-Containing Compounds from Olefins and Polyols

Abstract

Specific features of the tandem hydroformylation–acetalization of a series of unsaturated compounds and polyols in the presence of a water-soluble catalytic system containing a rhodium catalyst precursor, sodium (triphenylphosphino)trisulfonate, and sulfuric acid were studied. The process parameters (component ratio, temperature, reaction time) were optimized using model substrates. With the suggested catalytic system, the conversion of unsaturated compounds to target products, acetals, reaches 95%, and the catalytic system can be separated from the reaction products and repeatedly used without significant loss of the activity. The acetal preparation procedure is versatile with respect to the raw materials. Batches of acetal mixtures were prepared by the suggested procedure from 1-octene and polyols (ethylene glycol, glycerol, sorbitol).