One-Pot, Selective Hydroformylation, Condensation, and Hydrogenation Processes by a Sol-Gel Entrapped Rhodium Complex, an Immobilized Base, and an Ionic Liquid

We report on a one‐pot, multistep process in which styrene derivatives are selectively hydroformylated to give branched aldehydes, which in turn, are condensed with reactive methylene compounds (malononitrile, ethyl cyanoacetate), and then hydrogenated. The process takes place at 80 °C under 20.7 bar H2 and 20.7 bar CO in the presence of [Rh(cod)Cl]2 and Na[Ph2P‐3‐(C6H4SO3)], which have been co‐entrapped within ionic liquid confined silica sol–gel together with a separately encaged base. The catalyst can be reused at least four times, but the base has to be renewed after each run. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009) In the presence of [Rh(cod)Cl]2 that has been entrapped within an ionic liquid confined silica sol–gel, styrene derivatives were hydroformylated at 80° C to selectively give branched aldehydes that undergo, withinthe same pot, condensation with active methylene compounds followed by hydrogenation of the resulting unsaturated products.