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 RhO x nanoparticles and abundant acid sites on the supports were responsible for the hydroformylation and acetalization, respectively. Graphical abstract One-pot synthesis of acetals directly from olefins with high selectivity was achieved over heterogeneous bifunctional catalysts via tandem hydroformylation-acetalization.