Rh-catalyzed C–C bond cleavage by transfer hydroformylation

Abstract

Shifting hydroformylation into reverse The hydroformylation reaction is applied on large scale in the chemical industry to make aldehydes by adding hydrogen and carbon monoxide to olefins. The reverse process could also prove useful in modifying complex molecules for pharmaceutical research, but methods directed toward that end often strip off the CO without the hydrogen. Murphy et al. now show that a rhodium catalyst can achieve selective dehydroformylation of a diverse range of compounds under mild conditions (see the Perspective by Landis). The protocol relies on effective transfer of the CO and H 2 equivalents to a sacrificial strained olefin added to the mix. Science , this issue p. 56 ; see also p. 29