Hydroformylation of ethylene in supercritical carbon dioxide using Ru-3 (CO)(12) as a catalyst precursor

The homogeneous catalytic hydroformylation of ethylene in supercritical carbon dioxide was studied using the trinuclear carbonyl cluster Ru-3(CO)(12) as a catalyst precursor. Ru-3(CO)(12) was found to be sufficiently soluble in supercritical CO2. The hydroformylation experiments were carried out in the temperature range between 60 and 125 degreesC and in the pressure range from 224 to 408 atm. The catalyst was inactive below 70 degreesC, but above this value the activity increased with temperature. After an induction period of several hours the reaction rate increased exponentially. The effect of the density of scCO(2) on the reaction rate was also investigated. (C) 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.