VAPOUR PHASE HYDROFORMYLATION OF ETHYLENE AND PROPENE CATALYZED BY A RHODIUM-CONTAINING ALUMINUM PILLARED SMECTITE CLAY

A commercial sodium bentonite pillared with aluminum polyoxocations was exchanged with a RhCl3 solution. The resultant pillared clay had a surface area of 200 m2 g-1, an interlayer spacing of 18 angstrom and a rhodium content of 0.46% w/w. The clay after thermal treatment at 623 K and activation in CO/H-2 flow at 493 K catalyzed the hydroformylation of ethylene and propene in vapour phase at atmospheric pressure in the temperature range 373-473 K. The hydroformylation of propene proceeded with a good regioselectivity to normal products: S(L) [normal/(iso + normal)] x 100 = 78.5. The surface species formed under reaction conditions were studied by IR spectroscopy.