Recent advances in the methanol carbonylation reaction into acetic acid

Although the high efficiency of the homogeneous processes, using rhodium or iridium complexes, was clearly demonstrated industrially, heterogeneous catalysts offer the advantages of facile product separation and vapor phase operation, which often limit catalyst losses. Both noble and non-noble metal homogeneous and heterogeneous catalyzed carbonylation of methanol have been studied for many years. In this short chapter, we intend to analyze the recent evolutions of the most promising catalytic systems for this important reaction of catalysis. A presentation by metals was chosen, always referring to the origins of the first catalytic systems.