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Phosphine-Borane Complexes: in situ Deprotection and Application as Ligands in the Rh- or Pd-Catalysed Hydroformylation Reaction

D.B.G. Williams*, P.D.R. Kotze, A.C. Ferreira and C.W. Holzapfel

Department of Chemistry, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, South Africa

Triarylphosphine-borane complexes are directly useful in the Rh-catalysed hydroformylation reaction of 1-octene (or Pd-catalysed hydroformylation of 1-pentene). Mild reaction conditions provide similar yields and selectivities of the anticipated aldehyde products to reactions making use of the corresponding free phosphines as ligands. The mono- or bidentate P-B adducts undergo in situ CO-mediated deprotection the produce the free phosphine ligands. The results demonstrate that phosphine-borane complexes may be directly applied to carbonylation reactions without a prior deprotection step, with little to no change in the reaction outcome.

Keywords: Carbonylation, Hydroformylation, Palladium, Phosphanes, Rhodium