Rhodium Catalysts Bearing Mixed Thioether–Phosphine Ligands for Carbonylation of Methanol

Abstract

Two kinds of thioether–trialkylphosphine ligands and their Rh complexes were synthesized and applied to the carbonylation of methanol to acetic acid to reveal that one of the two complexes showed higher activity compared to Rh catalyst without any ligands.

Homogeneous Catalysis for the Conversion of CO2, CO, CH3OH, and CH4 to C2+ Chemicals via C–C Bond Formation

“…Similar monometallic catalysts, 14.3 and 14.4, showed greater yields or catalytic efficiency, respectively, compared to [RhCl(CO) 2 ] 2 (Figure 14). 112 In 2000, Kang and co-workers reported the bimetallic rhodium complex 14.5 bearing an o-carborane-P,S-chelating ligand that carbonylates methanol with a TON of 1600, almost 3 times the TON of the Monsanto catalyst under the same conditions. 113 The authors attributed the improved catalytic activity to the stable metal chelate forced by the carborane backbone of the ligand.…”