One-pot Synthesis of Acetals by Tandem Hydroformylation-acetalization of Olefins Using Heterogeneous Supported Catalysts

A green route for one−pot synthesis of acetals by tandem hydroformylation−acetalization of olefins using supported Rh−based catalysts was developed. Experimental results demonstrated that suitable Rh loading (1 wt%) with appropriate reaction temperature (120 °C) and reaction time (8 h) were favorable for the formation of acetals, and a high acetals selectivity of 94.6% was achieved. More importantly, the selectivity to valuable linear products was enhanced in this tandem catalysis. Based on the catalytic mechanism study, highly dispersed RhOx nanoparticles and abundant acid sites on the supports were responsible for the hydroformylation and acetalization, respectively. One-pot synthesis of acetals directly from olefins with high selectivity was achieved over heterogeneous bifunctional catalysts via tandem hydroformylation-acetalization.