The hydroformylation of butadiene catalysed by rhodium-diphosphine complexes

Abstract Bidentate phosphine ligands bridged by two carbon atoms strongly promote the rhodium-catalysed hydrofonnylation of 1,3-dienes. Particularly interesting is a conversion under mild conditions of butadiene to pentanal with over 90% selectivity and less than 1% branched products. A mechanism involving η3-allyl rhodium species is proposed.