Supported Cobalt Nanoparticles for Hydroformylation Reactions.

Hydroformylation of olefins has been studied in the presence of specific heterogeneous cobalt nanoparticles. The catalytic materials were prepared by pyrolysis of preformed cobalt complexes deposited onto different inorganic supports. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) measurements indicated a correlation of catalyst activity and cobalt leaching as well as a strong influence of the heterogeneous support on the productivity. These new, low-cost, easy-to-handle catalysts can substitute more toxic, unstable and volatile cobalt carbonyl complexes for hydroformylations on a laboratory scale.