Preparation of Rh-containing cellulose acetate films and the chemistry of Rh in cellulose acetate

RhCl [P(C₆H₅)₃]₃ complexes have been incorporated in cellulose acetate as a dispersion medium using cosolvent (tetrahydrofuran). The interactions between Rh (I) complexes and cellulose acetate (CA) are examined by infrared spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The chemical reactivities of Rh–CA films have been investigated by reacting Rh sites with CO, H₂, O₂, and C₂H₄ in the temperature range 90–150°C and at a pressure of less than 1 atm. Three different Rh-carbonyls and a Rh-hydride species formed in CA are characterized by their infrared spectra. Treatment of 10 or 20 wt % Rh–CA films with hydrogen (600 torr) at 150°C produces small Rh metal particles of ca. 10 Å or less in diameter in CA, which show catalytic activities under mild conditions in various reactions such as hydrogenation of C₂H₄, oxidation of CO, and Fischer–Tropsch type reactions.