Factors Which Determine Product Selectivity in the Homogeneous Hydrogenation of Carbon Monoxide to Oxygenates

The use of synthesis gas as a raw material for the manufacture of industrial organic chemicals is expected to accelerate in the years ahead as the cost of conventional feedstocks derived from petroleum and natural gas increases. and their availability decreases 1, 2]. The heterogeneously catalyzed Fischer-Tropsch reaction 3] converts synthesis gas directly to mixtures of variously functionalized compounds. With the notable exception of methanol synthesis, however, such heterogeneously catalyzed processes have thus far been sufficiently nonselective to discourage further application to the production of specific chemicals. In contrast, homogeneously catalyzed reactions are often highly selective 4-6] and offer considerable potential for efficiently utilizing synthesis gas. Two commercially successful examples of such chemistry are the Hydroformylation or OXO reaction 7, 8] and the Monsanto acetic acid process 9]. Halcon SD/Tennessee Eastman technology for the production of acetic anhydride will soon be on stream 10], and homogeneously catalyzed routes from synthesis gas to methanol, methyl formate, ethanol, vinyl acetate, ethylene glycol, oxalic acid, acetaldehyde, and other chemicals have been reported 11].